Guidelines
At our center, we strive to cultivate positive, cooperative, and reasonable behavior in children through supportive and non-threatening guidance techniques. Our staff actively promotes a positive attitude among children, fostering empathy for others' feelings. Expectations are consistently developmentally realistic, encouraging children to accept differences and appreciate the capabilities and limitations of those with special needs.
To ensure consistent application, the center has established behavior guidelines for all staff working with the children. These guidelines aim to build positive self-esteem, fostering a sense of responsibility for one's behavior. The strategies employed vary based on the goals, nature, and age of the child.
The center provides an ample supply of equipment and toys, identical or similar, and the program is structured to offer a variety of spaces and activities for smaller groups, reducing the likelihood of conflict.
Educators focus on building trusting relationships with each child, understanding them as individuals. Older children are encouraged to discuss conflicts, learning to deal with them independently and appropriately.
Here are some examples of guidance strategies for inappropriate behavior:
- Redirection and diversion to other activities
- Positive role modeling by staff
- Encouragement and positive feedback for appropriate behavior
- Ignoring or giving minimal attention to inappropriate attention-seeking behavior (except when it involves hurting another child)
- Giving more attention to a child who has been hurt than the child doing the hurting, e.g., in cases of biting
- Providing choices within limits, with agreed consequences if limits are exceeded (note that consequences are not used as punishment)
- Providing a 'table for one' with an activity to allow a child to calm down independently
- Speaking to children firmly and calmly, focusing on the inappropriate action rather than the child
- Teaching children to communicate their feelings verbally, such as saying, "I don't like it when you hurt me," rather than resorting to physical actions
In rare cases where a child's behavior is abnormally aggressive, poses a danger to others, is excessively reserved, or inconsistent, assistance may be sought from Children’s Development Resource officers. Parental consent is required before seeking assistance. For more information on guiding children's behavior, please consult with the Coordinator.
The local council provides support through resource officers to assist staff and parents in effectively managing children with special needs, including those displaying challenging or abnormal behavior.
Toys:
We discourage children from bringing personal toys to the center, except for a soft toy or comforter used during sleep or rest time. These items should be labeled with the child's name.
Toys and clothes promoting war and violence, including capes and homemade toys, should not be brought to the center, as they are believed to encourage negative conflict resolution. If a child has such items in their bag, they will remain there, and parents will be informed during collection.
Nevertheless, there may be occasions for discussions with children that highlight the concerns surrounding superhero and war toys, fostering a thoughtful understanding of these issues.