Building Responsive Relationships Remotely

Insights from our Community Conversations:

Science tells us that responsive relationships—like those with serve and return interactions—between children and adults, adults and other adults, and children and other children help buffer us against the effects of ongoing stress. These relationships act as a core building block for resilience and help us navigate life’s ups and downs.

How do we maintain and promote responsive relationships during the coronavirus pandemic? While stay-at-home measures during the pandemic are helping slow the spread of the virus, protect our health, and protect our hospitals, it’s important to connect virtually to support children, families, and care providers of all kinds.

In the Spring and Fall of 2020, we hosted a series of conversations with members of our Frontiers of Innovation community. Through these conversations, members shared their stories of innovation and resilience as they sought to maintain services to families and innovate not only overnight, but sometimes by the minute! Below are some tips they provided that may help you navigate remote interactions during this time.

The content on this page is a synthesis of key themes and practical tips that emerged from this leading edge of the field. We appreciate that they are just-in-time ideas, and we plan to check back in on these topics periodically as the context we are all working in remains quite fluid and dynamic.

Tools & Guides