Printable View
I too believe in teaching children to respect their environment and I have an amazing group of children year after year who are kind, gentle and respectful ... unlike the Daycare Whisper we manage to do that with only 3 rules in the playroom!
Is it safe? Is it respectful? Is it productive to meeting a learning goal? If the answer is YES than do it and if the answer is NO than you don't do it .... easy peasy lemon squeezy to remember those rules and apply them anywhere where we go!
Skysue, you're right. I had an answer all ready but then I got really distracted going through the other posts on this thread. I'm sorry Kelley! But I bet you are already doing the right things, consistently telling the children what is acceptable and not acceptable.
Personally, I made daycare cool rules years ago when I had a couple rambunctious boys. I say it in a little singsong rhyme. The first three words are said with arms in the air. Just my invention so feel free to change it any way you want and use it as an idea.
Daycare Cool Rules - No hitting, no pushing, no throwing toys, yes hugs, yes friends, good girls and boys.
Children go through so many phases and they pass thank goodness, but it's stressful while something serious is happening. Putting in really hard days where you are constantly repeating yourself and separating the children and putting them in timeout or whatever you use as discipline, removing toys and privileges, it all pays off once they see you won't stop correcting them. But also speak to the dcparent and make sure they are helping you out with their child's behaviour at home.
[Wow! my stomache began to ache the farther I read into that! you wrote that and you really practice that with your children in your care?
Yes I do. It took me over thirty years to come up with the system but it works really well.
i have agreed with you on many things and believe that we (adults) are here to guide children into the correct life BUT WOW! those rules are rediculous, is there anything they can do, not to mention, how do these kids feel after a day of so many "no's!" thrown at them,
We aren't in the business of having to repeat ourselves over and over so they can go months in between a "no". They learn the rules when they first join the group and are mentored by an older child. I have the older children (ages 3.5 to 5) do the teaching.
I'm surprised they play with any toys at all,
They are PHENOMENAL toy players from a very very young age on. These kids can play play play play all day every day.
I think I would just crawl into a corner, and I know I would have a ton of anxiety , worried about making a mistake all the time!
I don't have any corners for them to crawl into so that's never a problem. I have an open room where they can be supervised completely. I haven't seen any anxiety in them. All I see is a group of awesome kids getting at that toy playing.
I do believe that children should be respectful of toys not throw them or bang on them, not stand on them or break them. but how will they ever learn, if they can't use their imagination as it goes, why can't more than two children play with a kitchen set?
Threes a crowd and not enough real estate for more than two the way the toys are set up. I like pairings of two... an older child with a new walker is my fave. We rotate the kids on each side of the room and make sure each little has a chance to play with the seasoned players.
if anything they would have to learn to share and compromise. So many life skills are developed in independent play, you cant guide a child and correct a child constantly of mistakes and missteps and expect them to know how to function on their own.
I agree I just use a different combination than the OP. I don't put two one year olds together. I have them learn sharing and comprimising when the older kids play with the littles. The older ones learn to share and comprimise when they are playing with a one year old.
I personally find all those rules to be too much and if I were a parent I would run not walk from a meeting with that many stipulations.
I don't. I like the outcome. I like having eight sweethearts who play play play with little adult involvement. I like the fact that they learn the rules at a very young age and need next to zero correction as they enter the twos. I like how flexible they are and how they can adapt to ANY combination of kids I feel is safe.
Children learn through natural play, not controlled play!
What you call controlled I call supervised. And yes we control the play. We are the leaders. We are the adults. We know best.
you have to let them have a toy taken away and feel that emotion, then allow them to work it out,
I want them to know I don't want them to take the toy away. I don't worry about emotions or working it out. I just want them to get that we don't steal toys away. It's simple... emotions and "working it out" is a little too complicated for me and the age group I serve. They get to the why's when they are a bit older but in the meantime, I will show them what I want them to do and expect they do it. It's what keeps the environment safe, the toy playing at a super high level, and the interactions calm and sweet. NO violence.
you have to let them get creative with the box or toy car,
They have a huge car collection here. I collect cars. They get supercreative with them.
IF they want it to become a flying space ship who am I to tell them it needs to stay on the ground. IF a child wants to build a skyscraper above his head with pride, who am I to tell him to lower is expectations. "shoulder high, or loose the blocks, tommy" no way....."wow, you built the worlds highest tower, good for you" who knows, he could grow up to be an amazing architect IF you let him explore the limits, if you hinder them to your liking, he will not only be afraid to go farther than others expect of him in life, but he will always be looking over his shoulder to make sure everyone is accepting of his choices and worried he is letting someone down or "breaking the rules".
Nobody worries here. They have no stress. You are saying that but I never see it. Kids like a calm, stable, supervised environment. They flourish in it.
That's the beauty of it.
_