What Communication Tools do Parents Prefer in 2023?
In an ideal world, every parent and practitioner would have time to have a chat about their children each day at pick up time, but as you may already know, this is not always possible.
Technology can be a fantastic tool to help communicate with parents. It can allow you to provide real-time updates on child development, milestones, and day to day activities.
So what do you need to look out for when deciding on a parent communication tool in 2023? Today we are going through some of the different parent communication tools you can utilise in your setting. Find the communication tool that works for you and elevate your parental engagement.
Facebook Groups
Most parents who have children at your setting will have access to Facebook, and creating a community on social media for parents to share their concerns and share updates can be a fabulous way to engage with them. Facebook is open 24/7 so it allows parents to contact you any time, rather than relying on your opening times and fitting around their own busy schedules.
As well as encouraging parents to talk to you, it will encourage them to talk amongst themselves and create a positive online environment where child development and wellbeing is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Be mindful when creating a Facebook Group that you create a closed group and not a public one. This will ensure that any photographs, names, or information pertaining to children or their parents are kept private and secure.
Email Newsletters
Newsletters can be a wonderful way to get parents involved in the goings on at your nursery setting and keep them in the loop with their child’s development. Sharing a child’s activities, learning journeys, and interest with parents in a newsletter format can keep them up to date with their child’s life. A weekly newsletter can also be a good way to announce events such as sports day, stay and plays, or fundraising events at your setting.
As well as sharing news of a child’s activities and achievements within the nursery setting, you can also add some useful resources and fun activities for parents to get involved in. Sharing your weekly words and nursery rhymes will help parents understand what you will be teaching that week, and it will allow parents to encourage their children to say these words and sing these songs at home.
Letters
If you’d rather go old school with your parent communication, letters can be a useful tool to use. These days it is easy to assume that everyone has access to a computer or smartphone – but this might not be the case for all parents at your nursery. Offering a paper channel of communication will make you more accessible to every parent to ensure all of your essential information is reaching the right people.
While sending letters is a great idea for those who don’t have access to the internet – it isn’t sustainable – therefore perhaps offer letters as an option for parents who don’t want to receive email communication, and use online communication for everyone else to reduce paper usage.
Parent Communication Apps
We know how busy parents are, especially when they have their children in tow during collection and pick up. A parent communication app like ParentZone, supports busy parents with a quick and convenient way to:
- Access information about their child’s day at a time that suits them best
- Upload their own observations from their time outside of nursery to give you a more complete view of a child’s learning experiences
- View their child’s daily activities and wow moments
- Pay their fees, by card, directly from their app
Today’s parents are often glued to their smartphone or tablet, whether at home or work, so by using this passion for technology in the nursery environment, parents are likely to become much more engaged in their child’s nursery life.
More About ParentZone
The award-winning app has been garnering some impressive reviews over the last 12 months, with parents sharing their love for the convenience of the application as well as the real-time updates of their little ones throughout the day.
With 464,214 registered users of the app right now, it is clear to see that this intuitive piece of kit will be an asset to any parent who has a child in the early years sector. ParentZone increases partnership between practitioners and parents allowing seamless communication between parents and nurseries.
The application has several important features to make it easy to use by parents. It provides instant updates about a child’s day, including what they have eaten, if they have had a nap, or if they have completed an activity that contributes towards their development. Using the EYFS framework, parents can gain a better understanding of where their child is and what they have achieved.
With contactless payments, parents will also have the convenience of paying fees by card directly from the app. Parents can review their invoices as well as outstanding balances, ensuring that they are always aware of the money they owe. The main benefit of this feature is the reduction in admin time for both the parent and the childcare provider.
Choosing the Right Parent Communication Tool in 2023
Share this article
About the Author
Imogen is our Content and Social Media creative
Data Security and Nursery Management Software – What Nursery Managers Need to Know
Ofsted Early Years Curriculum and Pedagogy
Connect Commentary: Spring Budget 2023