Principles of Sound Discipline for Child Care Providers
by Lynne Reeves Griffin RN, M.Ed.
With young children in your care for as many as eight-to-ten hours a day, you might be dealing with the same kinds of discipline issues as parents. Child care providers must set clear limits and provide consequences that make sense. Experts on discipline have begun to tailor their methods to the child care provider. While there are a variety of sound approaches, many of the basic principles are the same.
Anticipation is the Key
Be Proactive
Decide in advance the rules you will enforce, such
as, "We don't hurt other peoples' bodies, feelings, or belongings."
Role Modeling
Role model the kind of behaviors you want children to display. If you want children to use an indoor voice, you shouldn't raise yours.
Structure and Boundaries
Provide routines that children can predict. For example, structure playground time in the afternoon for thirty minutes. This helps children make the inevitable transition to going indoors. Make boundaries clear. If you say name-calling isn't okay, then you must provide consistent consequences to that behavior every time it's exhibited.
Effective Communication
Make the rules of behavior and the consequences to particular actions unmistakable: If you hit, you must leave the activity; if you throw your snack, you must
leave the table. Communicate the rules to everyone, In a variety of ways. Many child care settings post rules on kid-friendly posters and give policies for managing difficult behaviors to parents in the form of contracts or newsletters.
Praise and Encouragement
Compliment cooperative behaviors and reward kindness. Be careful not to go overboard when praising a behavior that you expected. It makes children think you
are surprised when they follow the rules. Encourage children who have a tougher time following the rules. Let them know their effort is appreciated.
Respect
Create an environment of respect for staff, parents and children where ideas and feelings matter. We often get back what we give.
Heading It Off at the Pass
You've taken the time to set the stage for eliciting cooperation and expecting good behavior. All the children will behave like little angels, right? Perhaps not, but making expectations clear and providing structure and boundaries gets you half
way there. Your next step is to follow through on managing the behaviors you've identified as unacceptable. Here are some guideposts for handling conflict around behavior.
Authority
Remember--you are in charge. If children are expected to learn that their behavior is unacceptable, they need adults to provide appropriate consequences.
Predictability
If you have a plan for managing typical discipline issues and always respond to certain behaviors, children will learn to predict what will happen when the rules
are not followed.
Consistency
Always act on misbehavior. You don't always have to use the same strategy but you must address the misbehavior. If you let one episode of name calling go, you are bound to see more of that behavior.
Emotional Integrity
Remain calm. It's one thing to tell a child you are upset or frustrated; it's another to lose control of your emotions. You lose your credibility as an authority, creating fear in children.
Make an Impact
Influencing future behavior begins when children make the connection between their actions and the consequences of their actions. For example, a child who
often tends to disrupt other children's work can learn to think before she reacts: "If I paint on someone's paper, my painting time is finished."
Providing sound discipline in a child care setting is worth the investment of time and energy. While parents are the greatest influence on children and their behavior, the role you play in teaching children to act responsibly and accept limits is significant to the children and families you work with and the world in general.
*Submitted by Patrisha
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