The Swedish preschool curriculum places strong emphasis on the home – preschool partnership and parent engagement in this regard is considered important for reasons such as promoting child well-being and a healthy development. The central target of inquiry of this study was thus to explores the three primary perspectives that interconnect in the preschool – home partnership (child, parent, teacher) and applies this exploration in order to better understand what parent engagement in preschool means to the child. Central to the study was determining the child’s position within the partnership, thus the theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was applied. Stories were collected through interviews which highlighted the interconnectedness of the three perspectives and analysed using story constellations. Through identifying harmonies and contradictions in the stories, the construct of children’s, parents and preschool teachers understanding of parent engagement in the Swedish preschool has been investigated, shedding light on the child’s sense of agency within the partnership.

This study investigates parents’ experiences of partnerships with their children’s preschool teachers in Sweden, focusing on two questions: (1) How do parents describe communication with preschool teachers, and what information about their child is valued? (2) How do parents position preschool in their child’s life? Framed through Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, the analysis examines how parents’ dispositions, values, and prior experiences shape engagement with early childhood education. Data were collected via interviews with 25 parents across three counties in western Sweden and analysed using narrative methods. Findings show that parents prioritise communication about children’s well-being and social development as central to partnership, while instructional information is largely viewed as the teacher’s domain. Preschool is primarily seen as a context for socialisation, developing norms, values, and behaviours, rather than formal academic preparation. By exploring consistencies and contradictions in parental accounts, the study offers a nuanced understanding of how habitus informs parental expectations and communication practices, highlighting the complex interplay between family dispositions and preschool engagement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in major restructuring of routines and protocols in universities across the globe. The pandemic has disrupted the long-established routines of academic’s everyday life, shifting from on-site teaching and supervision to remote teaching, thus confining academics to a two-dimensional world where work life happens almost entirely without human contact. To date, little is known in regard to activities that academics do outside the university; activities that focus on rest, renewal and family structures, centring care for the private sphere. In this chapter, we share a collection of autoethnographies that focuses on self-care strategies which we implement to create a sense of wellbeing during this time of world crisis. We transcend culture and context as we offer our narratives to encourage other academics to protect the reflective practice that is essential to personal wellbeing as well as quality research and education.

In Sweden, collaboration between families and preschools is strongly emphasized, yet little is known about how parents perceive preschool teachers’ education, qualifications, and professional skills. Through a socio-cultural lens, this article explores parents’ views on preschool teacher competence within the context of parent–teacher partnerships. It is guided by the central question: What skills, competencies, and qualifications do parents consider important in a preschool teacher? Based on interviews with 25 parents of preschool-aged children in Sweden, the findings revealed three key themes: (i) parents’ knowledge about the teachers’ formal education, (ii) formal education and curriculum as meaningful/important when working in preschools, and (iii) parents’ perceptions of teachers’ professional competence in practice. This study thus highlights that, while formal qualifications are not a primary concern for parents, they place significant value on interpersonal qualities that foster a sense of safety and emotional security for both children and their families.