Tda_2.9

TDA 2.9 : Support children and young people's positive behaviour 1. Know the polices and procedures of the setting for promoting children and young people's positive behaviour 1.1 Describe the policies and procedures of the setting relevant to promoting children and young people's positive behaviour. ● self- respect and self- esteem ● consideration and empathy for others ● social skills such as negotiation and problem- solving. Every setting should have a behaviour policy. This should be specific to the aims and needs of the setting and include guidelines for promoting positive behaviour of both children and adults involved with the setting. A behaviour policy will help all staff to learn how to promote positive behaviour, by explaining that children need to develop positive skills and attributes: The policy should also include guidance in two important areas: 1. Promoting appropriate behaviour in the children and young people in the setting 2 Discouraging inappropriate behaviour in the setting. Specific procedures for staff to follow which help in achieving these aims should also be included, such as: ● Being a positive role model: showing the children and young people what is appropriate behaviour in the setting, by setting a positive example in your own behaviour. ● Showing respect to children, young people and other adults: by the way you listen, your facial expression, your body language and by what you say. ● Praising children and young people: when they have shown positive and appropriate behaviour – for example, when they have been helpful to another child. ● Organising the environment: to make it easier for children and young people to understand why they need to be patient or to take turns. ● Intervening calmly: to stop children and young people hurting each other or behaving in an unsafe way. ● Setting boundaries: supporting children and young people in learning what sort of behaviour is acceptable and what is not. ● Giving a simple explanation or alternative: to the child who is finding it difficult to observe boundaries. The policy should also detail the strategies that will definitely never be used in the setting and also explain why; for example: ● Adults will not hit or shake children or young people – this is against the law. It is a misuse of your adult strength and is contrary to the ground rules for children and young people’s behaviour. ● Adults will not use verbal humiliation or insults – this would undermine children and Codes of conduct. Each behaviour policy applies to a particular setting and so will vary according to the type of setting. The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that “children’s behaviour must be managed effectively and in a manner appropriate for their stage of development and particular individual needs”. Schools are also legally required to have policies and procedures in place to identify and prevent bullying. Codes of conduct generally form part of a settings behaviour policy. These relate to the behaviour of staff as well as to the behaviour of children and young people. The code of conduct for staff in a children or young people’s setting may provide extra guidance for staff on dealing with inappropriate behaviour: ● keeping calm when dealing with inappropriate behaviour ● listening to both sides of the story when there is conflict and apologising if you have made a mistake ● being consistent when dealing with inappropriate behaviour ● making sure that you do not make any negative comments in front of the children or young people. The main features of a code of conduct for children and young people deal with issues such as fairness and taking turns, playing safely and not bullying. The code may be negotiated with older children and young people and will also describe use of the following measures to promote positive behaviour. Rewards and sanctions Most settings have ways of rewarding positive behaviour and of using sanctions to discourage inappropriate behaviour. Dealing with conflict and inappropriate behaviour Everyone working with children and young people needs to be clear about what is meant by inappropriate behaviour; this is why it is so important to have a behaviour policy. Practitioners must follow the code of conduct by dealing with conflict in a fair and consistent way. Anti- bullying Bullying is a complex issue that mostly affects older children and young people. The settings policy should include guidance on how to prevent bullying. Attendance The importance of regular attendance is usually a part of a school’s code of conduct, although not always in an early years setting. 1.2 Describe with examples the importance of all staff consistently anf fairly applying boundaries and rules for children and young people's behaviour in accordance with the policies and procedures of the setting. The importance of being fair and consistent It is important that everyone in the setting is both fair and consistent when dealing with children’s and young people’s behaviour. When you are fair and consistent in your response to inappropriate behaviour, the child’s sense of security and knowledge of right from wrong will be reinforced. The adult response to inappropriate behaviour should be the same, every time that behaviour occurs. Consistency in applying the boundaries is important, especially in the work setting, where children and young people need to relate to several adults. They will check that the rules have not changed and that they still apply whichever adult is present. If you are supervising an activity, the children will expect you to apply the same rules as other staff. It undermines your own position if you allow unacceptable behaviour and another staff member has to discipline the children you are working with. Setting rules and boundaries If children and young people are to understand what is regarded as acceptable behaviour at home, in the work setting and in society, then they must be given very clear and consistent guidelines. Work settings will have a policy relating to behaviour and discipline, which all staff should follow and which is regularly reviewed. Rules The policy will explain the rules that are applied, and how children and young people will be helped to understand and learn to keep them. In most cases the rules are simple and reflect the concerns for safety and for children and young people to be considerate of others and their environment. They should be appropriate for the age and stage of development of the children or young people and for the particular needs of the work setting. Rules apply to the forms of behaviour that are encouraged, and cover physical, social and verbal aspects. Rules – or targets – should be realistically set for the child or young person’s age and stage of development. Examples of rules for a child aged ; four to five years are to: ● say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ ● share play equipment ● tidy up ● be quiet and listen for short periods (such as story or register time). Boundaries These are the limits within which behaviour is acceptable – they identify what may, and may not, be done or said. Children and young people need to understand the consequences of not acting within those boundaries. It is important that the boundaries are appropriate for the age and stage of development. Examples of boundaries for young children are that they may: ● play outside – but must not tread on the flowerbeds ● watch television – but only until tea is ready ● use the dressing- up clothes – if they put them away when they have finished. Examples of boundaries for older children and young people are that they may: ● use the internet – but only for agreed periods ● visit their friends’ houses – as long as they always let you know where they are How to support positive behaviour The ways in which children and young people behave will depend to a large extent on their developmental stage. Before looking at how to support positive behaviour, we need to understand what is expected behaviour at certain ages. Stages of behavioural development The following stages of behavioural development are, of course, linked only loosely to the ages shown. As with any normative measurements, they serve only as a rough guide to help understand children and young people’s behaviour and how best to respond to it. Much will depend upon children and young people’s experiences and the way in which they have been helped to develop effective relationships. Aged one to two years At this age, children: ● have developed their own personalities and are sociable with close family and friends ● still become shy and anxious when parents or carers are out of sight ● are developing their speech, and can attract attention by calling out or crying ● can become possessive over toys, but can often be distracted to something else ● are discovering that they are separate individuals ● are self- centred (see things from their own point of view) ● are gaining mobility, improving their ability to explore their surroundings – this results in conflicts, often regarding safety ● begin to understand the meaning of ‘No’, and firm boundaries can be set ● can be frustrated by their own limitations, but resist adult help (perhaps saying ‘me do it’). Aged two to three years Children now: ● are developing greater awareness of their separate identities ● are not yet able to share easily ● are developing their language abilities; they begin to communicate their needs and wishes more clearly and to understand ‘in a minute’ ● can still be distracted from the cause of their anger ● have tantrums (usually when parents or main carers are present) when frustrated – possibly caused by their efforts to become self- reliant (such as feeding or dressing themselves) or having ideas that the adult does not want them to carry out ● experience a range of feelings – being very affectionate and cooperative one minute and resistant the next ● are aware of the feelings of others and can respond to them. Aged three to four years Children at this age: ● are very aware of others and imitate them – especially in their play; their developing speaking and listening skills allow them to repeat swear words they hear ● are more able to express themselves through speech and, therefore, there is often a reduction in physical outbursts; however, they are still likely to hit back if provoked ● can be impulsive and will be less easily distracted ● become more sociable in their play and may have favourite friends ● can sometimes be reasoned with and are just becoming aware of the behaviour codes in different places or situations ● like and seek adult approval and appreciation of their efforts. Aged four to five years Children now: ● can behave appropriately at mealtimes and during other ‘routine’ activities and may begin to understand why ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ (or their equivalents) are important ● are able to share and take turns, but often need help ● are more aware of others’ feelings and will be concerned if someone is hurt ● are becoming more independent and self- assured, but still need adult comfort when ill or tired ● will respond to reason, can negotiate and be adaptable, but can still be distracted ● are sociable and becoming confident communicators able to make more sense of their environment; there will continue to be conflicts that they cannot resolve on their own and with which they will need adult help ● can sometimes be determined, may argue and show aggression. Aged five to six years Children at this age: ● understand that different rules apply in different places (such as at home, school, grandparents’ house) and can adapt their behaviour accordingly ● are developing control over their feelings – they argue with adults when they feel secure and need to feel there are firm boundaries in place ● will respond to reason and can negotiate, but are less easily distracted – anger can last longer and they need time to calm down ● are able to hide their feelings in some situations ● can cooperate in group play, but are not yet ready for team games ● may show off and boast (for example, when they celebrate an achievement) ● will continue to need adult support to resolve conflicts ● will share and take turns, and begin to have an understanding of what is ‘fair’ if given an explanation. Aged six to eight years Children now: ● can quickly adapt behaviour to suit the situation ● can play games with rules ● can argue their viewpoints ● are growing in confidence and becoming independent ● are developing some moral values and understanding of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ● can be friendly and cooperative ● can control how they feel much of the time but there are still times when they want to do things their way and quarrels develop. Aged eight to 12 years Between these ages, children: ● enjoy playing and inventing games with rules ● tend to be cooperative and enjoy being given responsibility ● tend to be closely attached to parental figures ● make friends often with same- gender peers, usually based on proximity, common interests and hobbies; girls tend to have fewer, but emotionally closer, friends than boys. Aged 12 to 19 years Children and young people: ● often question rules at home and try to push the boundaries ● may show avoidance behaviours (such as truanting, bullying and behaving disruptively in class), often caused by low self- esteem; some may experience bullying themselves. Linking behaviour to child development When assessing children and young people’s behaviour it is important to bear these developmental stages in mind and to view the behaviour in the context of overall development. Here are two examples: 1. It is well known that tantrums are a common, even expected, feature of a two- year- old child’s behaviour. There is bound to be some cause for concern, however, if they are a regular feature of a six- year- old child’s behaviour. However, some adults have unrealistic expectations of children and young people and express surprise when inappropriate behaviour occurs. 2. A five- year- old child becomes fidgety and whines during a Christmas pantomime. The adults will view the occasion as a treat and may feel resentment that their child is complaining, but it is reasonable that a five- year- old should lose concentration, be unable to sit still for a lengthy period or understand all of what is going on. Factors affecting behaviour It is well known that behaviour is commonly affected by certain factors. There are some factors that stem from the children and young people themselves: ● illness ● accident and injury ● tiredness. Other factors result from their situations: ● arrival of a new baby ● moving house ● parental separation or divorce ● change of carer – either at home or in a setting ● loss or bereavement ● change of setting – such as transition from home to nursery or nursery to school. Individual children and young people will respond to these situations differently but regression is common (usually temporary) when they revert to behaviour that is immature for them. Events that they do not understand will leave them confused, leading to frustration and aggressive outbursts, or they may blame themselves, which could result in withdrawn behaviour and the development of inappropriate habits through anxiety. Generally, any factor that causes stress may result in the child: ● needing more comfort and attention ● being less sociable ● being unable to cope with tasks that they would normally manage ● being subject to mood swings ● being unable to concentrate (this includes listening to instructions) and less able to cope with challenging situations and difficulties.