Guest Blog: Persona Dolls and Their Impact
Written by Fiona Courtland from Gables House Nursery
(Photo Credit DECSY)
I first came across Persona Dolls in February 2020 as I was browsing through the internet looking for ideas to promote inclusive practice in my early years setting. Persona dolls were founded by a lady named Babette Brown in 2000 who's mission was to promote diversity and challenge discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, class and ability. Referenced from (https://personadolluk).
Intrigued after watching a promotional video, I purchased the training resources and my first Persona doll whom we named Ollie. He arrived during the first lockdown which was actually perfect for us because we had one particular little boy who had very abruptly transitioned from his existing nursery to ours due to a Covid closure. As a result, he was really shell shocked at being moved from a nursery he loved one day, to our nursery the next, by a very fractious and worn out mummy who was working full time for the NHS.
As a team of staff, we had a discussion around intention of use for the doll which we believed might resonate with this child. We named our doll Ollie and gave him a similar identity to child x, a home, a family unit the same. He had similar likes, interests and family circumstances which we thought would easily form a connection to the child we had in mind. On first introduction, I entered the room holding Ollie whist all the children were busy playing and placed myself strategically next to child x. I said nothing, I just waited and after a few minutes proceeded to place my ear up to Ollie's mouth in order to start my imaginary conversation. I responded to Ollie with words of reassurance and my eyes remained fixed on the doll giving him full attention. It took less than two minutes for children's curiosity to be roused to the point where they stopped what they were doing to investigate further.
At first there was a general air of disbelief and suspicion about the credibility of my conversation. However my face remained serious as I continued to give Ollie and only Ollie my undivided attention. Soon the children were following my lips and my actions, fully attentive and engaged in listening to the responses Ollie gave to me through my feedback to them. At that point I knew I could sensitively open up a discussion around feelings attached to transition using Ollie as an example and my prop. As a result I am pleased to say that child x shared all his fears and anxieties relating to his recent move with myself and his new friends during that conversation.
“The impact was instant and quite remarkable.”
The impact was instant and quite remarkable. One child ran to get a tissue to kindly wipe Ollie's tears and nose, other children gently rubbed his back and gave him a hug, another went to get him a drink so poor Ollie had his first bath that evening too! Most importantly, the children showed empathy and kindness towards both Ollie and child x as they developed a new understanding of what it feels like to not know anybody and feel different. Child x showed a sense of relief. He wasn't the only one who was going through a tough time and we could see that he felt better for sharing his thoughts and feelings with us. We were quickly from that point able to both reassure him and also put together next steps in order to continue helping child x to process the sudden changes in his life and the emotions attached to family life being a little strained. He settled so quickly after that. A few months later child x had to get his first pair of glasses. Guess who also happened to need cool and trendy glasses on the very same week? Yes you guessed it..... Ollie!
Since the purchase of Ollie, we went on to buy one more Persona doll named Ekam. Ekam also enabled staff members to open up a whole host of discussions, some relating to equality and diversity, some related to other topics for example protecting our environment. One staff member took Ekam to the beach and collected litter, surrounded herself and the doll with the litter and took a photograph of them with sad faces. The next day a group discussion was opened up as children were asked to think about why she and Ekam might have been sad. The Impact of learning from this discussion set a course for further topics related through planning next steps.
Like all settings we sometimes have challenging behaviour with children who struggle to self regulate emotions. This might include them biting, spitting, being unable to share and take turns etc. The dolls provide a valuable approach to handling all of these issues professionally, sensitively and effectively for the good of each child's unique set of circumstances. They work and they work well and through subtle, indirect teaching we can help children to understand, think critically and make sense of the world around them. The dolls allow children to voice their opinions, give opportunities for the children to know that they are being heard and enable them to understand the importance of allowing different views to be valued.
Every week we find new ways of using these dolls and the children continue to learn so much from us through their use.