A: These are important situations where early intervention and appropriate strategies can make a significant difference in a child's development. Here's a breakdown for each question and age group:
When Children Fight Over a Toy
0-2 Years
- Intervene Gently: At this age, toddlers are still developing the concept of sharing. Calmly approach and redirect their attention to another toy or activity.
- Model Sharing Behavior: Use simple phrases like "Let's take turns," and demonstrate sharing to help them understand the concept over time.
- Provide Alternatives: Offer duplicates of popular toys to reduce conflict.
3-5 Years
- Encourage Communication: Teach children to use their words to express their feelings, such as "Can I have a turn?" or "I’m using this now."
- Promote Problem-Solving: Guide them in finding their own solutions, like setting a timer to take turns or agreeing on a sequence.
- Acknowledge Emotions: Validate their feelings but reinforce appropriate behavior, e.g., "I see you're upset, but we need to wait our turn."
When a Child Bites, Hits, or Pushes:
0-2 Years
- Stay Calm and Firm: Address the behavior immediately with a firm but calm "No biting/hitting/pushing, it hurts."
- Redirect Behavior: Offer alternative ways to express frustration, such as giving them a teething toy or encouraging gestures like pointing.
- Observe Triggers: Identify potential causes—like teething, tiredness, or overstimulation—and address them proactively.
3-5 Years
- Discuss Behavior: Once calm, talk to the child about what happened and why the behavior is unacceptable.
- Teach Empathy: Encourage them to consider the impact of their actions by asking questions like, "How do you think they felt?"
- Set Clear Consequences: Consistently apply logical consequences, like taking a short break from play, to reinforce boundaries.
When a Child Is Not Following Instructions
0-2 Years
- Keep Instructions Simple: Use clear, one-step directions that are age-appropriate.
- Engage Their Interest: Make tasks engaging, like singing or using actions to grab their attention.
- Repeat and Reinforce: Be patient and repeat instructions while modeling the desired behavior.
3-5 Years
- Clarify Expectations: Explain the reasons behind instructions in a way they can understand, such as "We need to tidy up so we have space to play."
- Offer Choices: Give them a sense of control by presenting options, like "Would you like to put the blocks away or the crayons?"
- Use Positive Reinforcement: Praise and reward compliance to motivate them, e.g., "Thank you for listening and helping!"
Further Reading
Behaviour Management In Childcare
Supporting Children With Challenging Behaviour
Descriptive Words For Children's Behaviour
Working as a childcare professional can be a challenge especially when dealing with behavioural problems which may arise. The techniques we use when dealing with
There are different types of behaviour that children can display and sometimes it can be hard to manage, especially if a child is having behavioural
As a parent, your behavioural expectations of your child can be higher than what is actually developmentally appropriate for your child's age.
As Educators, there will be many instances where you will need to write about a child's behaviour. For a behaviour management plan, assessments, half-yearly or
As Educators when communicating with Parents (through verbal or non-verbal communication), there will be times where we need to discuss issues or concerns that may
As part of your child's development it is normal for your child to have anxiety and fears. A baby commonly shows a fearful sign to
It's always difficult to bring up behavioural issues with parents, it can be nerve wrecking to tell a parent that their child misbehaves but that
All children deal with anger on a daily basis. Thinking about it as a child, there is a lot to be angry about. Elder people
Challenging Behaviour is when a child does something that hurts themselves and/or other people.
It is important to understand that your child behaviour problems could not just be from attention seeking. There are many factors to take into consideration
