Happy Start Child Care Guidance

Punishment versus Guidance

1) INAPPROPRIATE PRACTICES:
Through punishment children lose their trust in adults.
Punishing unacceptable behavior, demeaning children who misbehave, repeatedly putting the same children who misbehave in "time out chair" or some other punishment unrelated to the action, does not give the children clear limits and do not hold them accountable to acceptable behavior.
Discipline as punishment inflicts pain, loss, or suffering for a "crime" of wrongdoing. Its effects are: low self esteem, negative self concept, angry feelings toward others, and feeling of disengagement from the learning process. The "time out chair" usually embarrasses the child and seldom teaches a positive lesson.

2) APPROPRIATE PRACTICES:
Though guidance children are redirected to more acceptable activities and do not lose their trust in adults.
Guidance like setting clear limits, intervening to enforce consequences for unacceptable, harmful behavior, are positive techniques. Use Natural Consequences for babies and Logical Consequences for toddlers, instead of punishment.
Use of Conflict Management (teaching children to solve their problems with words) also teaches children how to solve problems without violence and help them feel good about themselves, the class, and the adult.

3) What I call by "Time Out" used in the context of the "Infant Child Care":
Time Out is a Time to Stop whatever everybody was doing in order to call attention to a situation where everybody was somewhat involved. Time Out is a Cooling-Down Time. Ex.: If a child does lose control and needs to be removed, the teacher can stay with the child for a cooling-down time, then talks with the child about how the other child felt, helps the child find a way to help the other child feel better (make restitution), and teaches a positive alternative for next time. If the child that lost control cries, the adult makes sure that he/she can cry; it is ok to cry; it is good to cry. If the child that lost control ends up sleeping, the adult should let the child sleep; he/she went through a lot, and he/she is probably very tired. What the child is not aloud to do while in "Time Out" is to play, and forget all about it, taking the violent behavior lightly, or trying to escape by play as if nothing had happened, or trying to make a game out of the seriousness of the situation by laughing, singing, or dancing. "Time Out" for infants and young toddlers is what the name literally suggests: a "Time to Think About" what happened, and a time to cool-down. The natural consequences here would be not to play, as before; not to continue to eat, as before; not to read a book, as before, etc. "Time Out" here is a time for a crisis intervention. Let's stop everything to reflect on what happened, and to learn to solve the conflict. It is rarely used as removal, or physical restraint, and then only as method of last resort.

4) Teamwork with parents is a part of the overall approach of the Happy Start Infant Child Care.
Instead of talking behind people's back about what intrigues everybody in a crisis like "biting", let's talk all together, without fears, and without gossip. Let's do things right because everything that we do right together is for the benefit of all the children.


		Punishment versus Guidance
		1) INAPPROPRIATE PRACTICES: Through punishment children lose their trust in adults. Punishing unacceptable behavior, demeaning children who misbehave, repeatedly putting the same children who misbehave in "time out chair" or some other punishment unrelated to the action, does not give the children clear limits and do not hold them accountable to acceptable behavior. Discipline as punishment inflicts pain, loss, or suffering for a "crime" of wrongdoing. Its effects are: low self esteem, negative self concept, angry feelings toward others, and feeling of disengagement from the learning process. The "time out chair" usually embarrasses the child and seldom teaches a positive lesson. 2) APPROPRIATE PRACTICES: Though guidance children are redirected to more acceptable activities and do not lose their trust in adults. Guidance like setting clear limits, intervening to enforce consequences for unacceptable, harmful behavior, are positive techniques. Use Natural Consequences for babies and Logical Consequences for toddlers, instead of punishment. Use of Conflict Management (teaching children to solve their problems with words) also teaches children how to solve problems without violence and help them feel good about themselves, the class, and the adult. 3) What I call by "Time Out" used in the context of the "Infant Child Care": Time Out is a Time to Stop whatever everybody was doing in order to call attention to a situation where everybody was somewhat involved. Time Out is a Cooling-Down Time. Ex.: If a child does lose control and needs to be removed, the teacher can stay with the child for a cooling-down time, then talks with the child about how the other child felt, helps the child find a way to help the other child feel better (make restitution), and teaches a positive alternative for next time. If the child that lost control cries, the adult makes sure that he/she can cry; it is ok to cry; it is good to cry. If the child that lost control ends up sleeping, the adult should let the child sleep; he/she went through a lot, and he/she is probably very tired. What the child is not aloud to do while in "Time Out" is to play, and forget all about it, taking the violent behavior lightly, or trying to escape by play as if nothing had happened, or trying to make a game out of the seriousness of the situation by laughing, singing, or dancing. "Time Out" for infants and young toddlers is what the name literally suggests: a "Time to Think About" what happened, and a time to cool-down. The natural consequences here would be not to play, as before; not to continue to eat, as before; not to read a book, as before, etc. "Time Out" here is a time for a crisis intervention. Let's stop everything to reflect on what happened, and to learn to solve the conflict. It is rarely used as removal, or physical restraint, and then only as method of last resort. 4) Teamwork with parents is a part of the overall approach of the Happy Start Infant Child Care. Instead of talking behind people's back about what intrigues everybody in a crisis like "biting", let's talk all together, without fears, and without gossip. Let's do things right because everything that we do right together is for the benefit of all the children.