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| Guiding young children's behavior in positive directions starts with an understanding of developmentally appropriate behavior expectations. It's tempting to respond to misbehavior with punishment, but spanking and other forms of punishment—both mental and physical—have side effects such as anger, humiliation, revenge, loss of self-esteem, and damage to the adult-child relationship. The goal of guidance in the early childhood program is to help children learn to control themselves and, at the same time, develop a healthy conscience. There are six guidance tools that the early childhood educator should use in lieu of punishment: time-out, consequences, setting and enforcing limits, redirection, teaching expression of feelings, and modeling prosocial behaviors.
Children's behavior is their way of telling adults what they need. There are six questions to consider when trying to understand any misbehavior's underlying message: (1) Are the child's basic needs met? (2) Does the environment fit the child? (3) Is the child's behavior a cry for attention? (4) Is the child's behavior a response to feeling powerless? (5) Did the child learn this behavior by being rewarded for it in the past? (6) Does the child clearly understand why her behavior is inappropriate? |