Teaching and practicing the implementation of expectations and rules can significantly reduce challenging behaviours. It is important that whenever we intend to bring this element into our practice or home, we need it to be a collaborative experience with the child(ren).
Some ideas at the Early Childhood service is to explore the three main concepts of:
Be Safe; Be Respectful; Be Friendly. Consider your daily routine and encourage the children to reflect on times that they have been able to demonstrate any of these and how that looked. Some lovely games and strategies can be explored on the TACSEI Make and Take folder, www.challengingbehavior.org eg. Stop or Go reflecting on scenarios that may or may not be adhering to the concepts above. Furthermore, having a way that the children can be encouraged to celebrate other children and themselves being successful in one or all areas. Pulling out specific rules from within the broader headings are also really helpful eg. gentle hands, packing away when finished, walking feet, kind words. This also provides us with specific positive feedback opportunities such as "I saw you using your walking feet inside! That is so safe! What a safe friend you are to have in this room."
Being limited in our 'categories' also makes it easier for children to remember. Including a visual (either a photo of children from the room engaged in that particular rule), or a general image will really support this process.
Sharing this with families is going to benefit the implementation, share expectations and have a much higher success both within the EC service and at home. Encouraging families to reflect on the expectations you have come up within the service, and exploring household versions of these, will also demonstrate to the children the relationship between parents and educators.
Importantly, we should aim to provide our directions clearly and in terms of what we would like to see, rather than not. For example: "Walking feet inside, please" instead of "Don't run".
