Who would Terminate if this didn't improve?

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ya - I am all for allowing 'choice' for children, following a child's lead and my program contains 90% free play ... I think you can do this and still have realistic expectations for behaviour and supporting the acquisition of socially acceptable communication!

While crying is normal at ALL AGES when one is hurt or suffering a SEVERE loss and should be 'supported' for a short term under those circumstances as an initial form of communication .... CRYING our of ANGER at being asked to do something that you might not WANT to do but NEED to is not a socially acceptable way of communicating and as soon as children begin to develop communication in my program they are encouraged to COMMUNICATE with words or signs - not to CRY / SCREAM at me when they do not get their own way or their need met 'immediately' ... even my 10 month old is already starting to sign 'more' at meal time instead of 'crying' to let me know he wants more food.

And while my group gets a much larger amount of 'control' in the program than most would allow there are times of the day in my program when 'there is no choice' but to follow the direction you have been give .... because like life there are things we MUST do even when we do not WANT to because they are part of a function home and life and children are expected to accept that with GRACE specially once they have communication ... we all come to the table for meal times - do not have to eat but you do have to come keep us company, we all get dressed to go outside, we all have rest time, we all help with tidy up, during learning activities if you do not want to participate you respect the ones who DO.

If a child does not want to 'engage' in a learning activity that we are doing as a group - while I encourage them to come I do not force them to participate and if they wanted to come but are 'disruptive' to participating they are in fact asked to LEAVE the activity until they are ready to be respectful of the group ... HOWEVER they do not get to run around distracting the others who DO want to participate by doing whatever they 'want' during that time because my EYES are busy supervising the 'group' and I need to know they are safe and engaged too - their choice is to participate with us, or just sit and watch us if they do not want to 'participate or to sit engaged with a book/puzzle quietly within eyesight of me on a carpet square .... if they are screaming about those 'choices' cause they would rather be doing something else that is not currently a 'choice' they would find themselves in BED until they were ready to make an appropriate choice quietly without impacting the choice of the others ... IMO that is teaching a child to respect the needs of the group you are a part of and that while you might not get your 'way' that you need to accept that 'adversity' with grace and choose the 'best' option available to you in the meantime...and reinforces that SCREAMING to try to get your own way at the expense of others should NOT WORK in society!