In a relationship-based approach to infant-family work, front-line staff members are frequently called on to manage their emotions in order to offer a presence that will promote and maintain an effective relationship with parents. The work of managing emotions to elicit a desired response in others is called emotional labor, and it comes at a significant cost to the worker. Awareness of this construct is important for staff and supervisors in order to moderate the effects of this invisible work. The presence of emotional labor in infant-family work is a primary rationale for the need for reflective supervision in this field. (author abstract)