Have you ever been frustrated with your group?

[playfelt]

We have so little options at our disposal for discipline that raising the voice is one of the few we can use. The difference is in how often we resort to doing it. If it becomes a constant thing then for sure you need to make changes either in the way things are set up in the daycare, how routines are done or even in the make up of the group. It is amazing how letting that one child go settles the whole group down.

My gang is used to me raising my voice and they know when I do that it is time to start to listen. i don't have to do it constantly but keep it in my arsenal for when we are having "one of those days".

Just like kids are rarely told "no" sometimes. They will get out into the world and no teacher is goign to go around individually to 25 kids and say time to clean up dear - he/she is going to flick the lights a couple times and talk loud enough that all can hear and it will seem like yelling to those closest to her. A boss is more likely to yell when he wants something than whisper. We raise our voice to be sure we are heard and vary our tone of voice to get our point across. Loud and stern does wonders. Just make sure you aren't loud and whiney cause the kids are less likely to respond positively since we dont' respond to their whiney voices. And no pleading. A firm please after the yell is fine - mostly when it is out of control just a loud firm "ENOUGH" brings them all back to reality and then we can talk normally about what we need to do or not to do.