TEACHING APPROACH
- Acknowledge children’s feelings as natural and acceptable
- Help children identify their own feelings
- Be patient and model the positive interactions you want to see in them
- Help children work out problems with as little intervention as possible
Create a climate of cooperation, mutual respect & acceptance
- Read and tell stories that help children explore their feelings
- Help children with the vocabulary to name their feelings: surprised, excited, happy, upset, angry, sad, scared
- Teach children techniques to self-soothe when they are upset, like taking deep breaths or choosing to go to a quiet space
- Affirm behaviors you want them to display, such as, “I like how you are sharing the books”
- Use words like “be gentle,” “please” and “thank you”
- Use routines such as diapering, dressing, feeding and napping as opportunities for gaining a child’s attention and cooperation
- Tips for resolving conflicts:
- Give each child involved a chance to share their feelings
- Give each child a chance to articulate the problem as they see it and what they want
- In your own words, summarize what you heard each child say
- Ask the children to brainstorm possible solutions
- Restate the problem, summarize the possible solutions and decide together how to resolve the problem
