The Cost of Caring: Empathic Relationships and Emotional Labour in Early Years Management

Hodgkins, Angela ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2464-7848 and Groom, J. (2025) The Cost of Caring: Empathic Relationships and Emotional Labour in Early Years Management. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 14 (2). pp. 195-222. ISSN ISSN 2323-7414; ISSN-L 2323-7414

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Abstract

This article explores the outcomes of research (Hodgkins, 2023) based in England, that ex-amined the impact of empathic relationships on early childhood practitioners. Partici-pants held various job titles, such as early years educator, learning support assistant, and nursery manager, and came from diverse early childhood settings in England. Of the nine participants, four had positions with management responsibility, either as the set-ting manager or deputy manager. Participants kept reflective diaries of their empathic interactions with children and families, which were followed up with semi-structured interviews. The research revealed significant emotional labour for practitioners and un-derscored the need for more emotionally supportive supervision in the profession. It al-so highlighted the unique stress on those with management responsibility, who support children, families, and staff. In this article, the researcher and an early years manager who participated in the study, examine the role of empathy and emphasise the need to acknowledge and support managers.

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