Positive Child Guidance (Managing Challenging Behaviour – Tantrums and Biting)

Focus It is classical to remember that almost wholly young baby birdren dis bleed stages of in grant or challenging behaviours such as acrid, scenes, clinging or hitting at various cartridge holders in their development. These behaviours atomic number 18 usually short-lived and typically improve with guidance and age. There atomic number 18 some shaverren, however, whose challenging behaviours may make up and result in combat injury to self or others, ca design damage to property, interfere with acquiring immature skills and/or social isolation.This report investigates the possible causes for challenging behaviors (focusing primarily on tantrums and biting) in infants, toddlers and young kidren and po hinge uponive child guidance strategies that be important as the basis for intervention and prevention. It is important to intervene in such a way that appropriate, pro-social behaviors ar taught, modeled, and reinforced to ensure lifelong success. 18 June 2011 J M Bade nhorst-Awasthi ID 20090950 Introduction On average about 10 % of children younger than fiver display challenging behaviours (Tremblay, 2000).There has been an increase of children exhibiting challenging behaviours sombre profuse for p arnts and teachers to get concerned about disrupting family shimmerctioning and schoolroom routines (Powell, Dunlap and Fox, 2006). It is requisite for p bents and teachers ( large(p)s) to discipline collaboratively in identifying causes of challenging behaviour and implementing relevant positive child guidance strategies that will promote pro-social and acceptable behaviour (Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). Pro-social / Acceptable BehaviourConroy and chocolate-brown (2004) highlight the following skills or pro-social behaviours that children should acquire out front the age of five (on average) Getting along with others Following directions Regulating and identifying emotions Conflict resolutions / solutions Persisting on a task Engaging in socia l conversations Cooperative play affirmatory Child management PCG An increasingly familiar term in the field of Early Childhood Education is Positive Child Guidance. PCG techniques, instead of Punitive Discipline Techniques are endorsed by experts as the outdo way to respond to challenging behaviour ( glow and Hoffman, 2002 Miller, 2007).PCG is a process wherein adults use certain strategies, e. g. reasoning, giving superiors, problem-solving, negotiation and redirection, when dealing with challenging behaviour (Miller, 2007 Porter, 2003). repugn behaviours (e. g. tantrums and biting) are seen as an fortune for negotiation, learning and resolution, instead of something that requires children to be make grow or punished for (Berk, 2006 Miller, 2007). Factors that influence challenging behaviour According to Flicker and Hoffman (2004) there are various factors that influence challenging behaviour ? ? ? ? ? steamy boredom, anxiety, low self-esteem, fear, overstimulation Family sibling rivalry, divorce, domestic violence, abuse Classroom overcrowding, too frequently clutter, excessive noise Physical hunger, fatigue, illness, soiled nappy Learning difficulties dustup and language, ADD/ADHD Environmental poor housing, poverty, community violence in front deciding on the most effective guidance dodge it is very(prenominal) important for adults to consider the (potential) contri just nowing factors. PCG is not a one-size-fits-all approach.It involves developing a close, trusting relationship with the children and parents and individualizing approaches (Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). TANTRUMS Definition A tantrum / temper tantrum is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children that are in emotional distress. Typical characteristics are crying, screaming, defiance, anger, stubbornness, ranting, resisting attempts to be pacified and sometimes hitting or kicking (Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). Tantrums most ordinarily overtake when children believe ( wrongly or rightly) that their pauperisms (not necessarily their ineluctably) are not creation met (Ministry of Education MoE, 1996).Typically tantrums will occur in children older between 16 months and three / four years (Berk, 2006). Influencing Factors The physical environment may run young childrens behaviour, e. g. inadequate space, noise levels and traffic patterns in the classroom (Miller, 2007 Strain and Hemmeter, 1999). Classroom schedules and routines may be a factor. Children need routines but with some flexibility. It is often the transition times that prove most tangled (Miller, 2007).Children business leader learn (after the first tantrum) that it is an effective way to get what they exigency and therefore keep repeating this behaviour (Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). Tantrums magnate occur when a child wants a tamper that is being used by some other child (jealousy) (Conroy and Brown, 2004). Often tantrums will happen when an adult says no to a child e. g. whe n changing or leaving an activity or fun place (e. g. when its time for tea / lunch) or when asked to do something they fag outt want to do (e. g. cleaning up) (Tremblay, 2002). A CNN Health news report concluded that there are neurological influences for tantrums.The prefrontal cortex, (part of the brain), which is responsible for emotional and social regulation is not yet developed in children and they are therefore less likely to ease up the required skills to negotiate a more controlled behaviour (New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003). Positive Child Guidance Strategies Teachers should make use of observations to establish which factor(s) is/are influencing tantrums. totally by understanding the factor crowd out appropriate strategies be utilize (Miller, 2007). There should be minimal disruptive transitions and fair warning before it occurs.Ensure children know the routine. Teachers should model and praise appropriate behaviour (Miller, 2007). Adults should not c ommit up / give in when a child has a tantrum. Children might learn that a tantrum is an effective and immediate means of getting what they want. Other children might learn and copy this behaviour (Alter and Conroy, 2006). Careful preparation is very important. Teachers should identify potential triggers and formulate solutions in advance (MoE, 1996). Children with a tendency for tantrums should be encouraged to do relaxing activities such as water play, play dough or the sandpit.It is inappropriate to expect toddlers to sit for long periods of time or to engage in large concourse activities. It is better to arrange short, engaging mat times and small gathering activities (Slee and Hemmeter, 1999). It is important to have enough toys so that all children have an probability to play at the same time. Some centres will deliberately have less toys to encourage problem-solving and negotiation skills. Through observations teachers should identify high sake toys and possible tantrums (Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). BITING DefinitionBiting is a distressing and coarse behaviour for children aged between fourteen months and two years (Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). Influencing Factors Probably the most common factor for biting is that children of this age are frustrated when they are otiose to use words to communicate their needs or wants. Toddlerhood is a time of strong emotions and few words. It is a time of many changes and the haveings (coupling these changes) shag sometimes lead to biting (Berk, 2006). Changes that bring about strong emotions and stress dirty dog makes children more prone to biting, e. g. otty training, transitioning to a different room (age group in the centre) or a new sibling (Conroy and Brown, 2004). Sometimes infants and young toddlers might bite when they are teething. Biting eases the irritation and pain of teething (Berk, 2006 Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). starve and thirst could also be an influencing factor (Berk, 2006). Infants us e biting and suck as a means of exploring and making sense of the physical world. near objects (that is big enough) will go into an infant/ toddlers give tongue to (Slee and Hemmeter, 1999). Sometimes children bite when they actually want to kiss someone (Conroy and Brown, 2004).Biting may occur when children are seeking attention. This behaviour mostly causes disturbance and focuses the adults attention on the child who bites. Children could also investigate / investigate the cause and effect of biting seeing / testing what will happen when biting (Conroy and Brown, 2004). Positive Child Guidance Strategies It is important for adults to talk to the child and acknowledge that these changes tooshie be difficult and give the child the opportunity to express their feelings appropriately (Berk, 2006 Alter and Conroy, 2006). Teachers can ask the parents if the child has a favourite teething toy.For toddlers a teething ring / toy can be pinned to their clothes (attached to a short s tring) and older children can carry a toy in their pockets. Adults should encourage children to use it when they feel like biting. Some children are comforted by a icy teething toy as this numbs the area and eases discomfort more. For infants and toddlers the adult can wet a cloth and put it in the freezer. The child can easily suck and chew on this (Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003). Toddlers and young children should not go for more than two hours without food.It is also important that adults regularly project children liquids as well. To ease late morning tendency of biting adults can offer a mid-morning snack that is crunchy and chewy such as pretzels, rice silly or biscuits (Slee and Hemmeter, 1999). Adults should ensure that the objects that infants play with are not small enough to swallow. To measure the size of objects try fitting it inside a derriere paper roll. If it fits then it is too small. Adults should ensure that appropriate teething toys are available (Slee and Hemme ter, 1999). Teach children the appropriate way of showing affection.How to kiss or hug can be taught. Children should first be taught to consider whether children want a hug or kiss. Adults should teach children to listen to the words that peck use when they dont want to be kissed (Conroy and Brown, 2004). To teach the child who has bitten empathy get him/her involved in calming and caring for the person who was bitten (e. g. getting an ice pack). If they see the obvious pain and discomfort and adults asking make questions it might discourage a child from biting again (Porter, 2003). Factors and Strategies for two Tantrums and BitingThere are some factors that may lead to both tantrums and biting which involve boredom or frustration when children are not adequately intermeshed with peers, teachers or materials and activities in the centre or at home. Adults should ensure that the materials and activities are engaging, challenging and entertaining for all ages and stages of deve lopment. Children should be given a choice of activities which may minimize boredom or frustration (Porter, 2003). Feelings of jealousy or the need for love / attention could also cause tantrums and biting. It is important that adults goody each child equally and fairly.Adults should be consistent in PCG strategy so children can know the boundaries, expectations and acceptable behaviour (Flicker and Hoffman, 2002). . There is a relationship between language inefficiency and challenging behaviours. Children with a language unfitness will often use tantrums or biting (although inappropriate) to communicate their needs (Hemmeter and Ostrosky, 2006). Hyter (2003) suggest that adults should help develop language skills through songs, repetitions and reading books (See appendage C) so that children can express themselves verbally instead of resorting to tantrums or biting (Porter, 2003).Conclusion This report highlighted various factors that influence challenging behaviour (tantrums and biting). For this reason adults (teachers and parents) should work collaboratively in identifying the influencing factor(s) and applying the most effective and appropriate prevention and intervention strategies to increase compliance and the childs development of self regulation and appropriate pro-social behaviours (Berk, 2006 Fox, Dunlap and Cushing, 2002 Kaiser and Rasminsky, 2003 Miller, 2007 ).