Children fascinate me. I learn from them every day. And I think my favourite thing of all about them is that they usually haven't had their instincts taught out of them- yet.
Adults, on the other hand- well, we're ever so good at hiding our feelings till everyone around us is confused (and so are we), eating and sleeping based on the clock or social expectations, limiting ourselves through fear of failure, measuring ourselves with the yardsticks of strangers. And so on. We could learn so much from children, if we allowed ourselves.
Take 'Jamelle', for example, a 3-year-old indigenous girl with a spirit as wild and free as a little wallaby (and I know a fair bit about wallabies, having brought up an orphaned one last year!). To the average observer, she might seem a little behind in her sense of 'belonging' to her classroom; she rarely does as she's told and her emotions have a fuse about as long as my little fingernail. But she has a lot to teach us if we're prepared to shut up, watch and listen.
Advice and observations from a qualified carer and educator to help parents and childcare professionals maintain a loving, respectful relationship with their children.
Showing posts with label rest time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rest time. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
I hate preschool rest time! -an alternative system for courageous carers
One of the things I really loved about being a preschool room leader was being able to stamp out the compulsory 'rest on a bed' after lunch.
And one of the greatest frustrations of being a casual worker these days is having to conform to the routine of each centre, which invariably means telling some 4- and 5-year-old children (and some even younger) who really aren't tired that they have to lie on their beds for a certain length of time. And them making them comply.
To me, insisting that a young child lies down and stays still and unoccupied when they're not tired- accompanied by the inevitable threats, pleading, raised voices, bribes, lies and confrontations when they won't comply- is a recipe for disaster. In some cases, it's completely disrespectful and in breach of the rights of the child (as laid down by the United Nations).
Does that shock you- that carers threaten, bribe and lie to children? It shocks me. I can't do it. So why is it such common practice?
And yes, it IS common practice. Here are a few anecdotes from 'rest times I have seen'.
And one of the greatest frustrations of being a casual worker these days is having to conform to the routine of each centre, which invariably means telling some 4- and 5-year-old children (and some even younger) who really aren't tired that they have to lie on their beds for a certain length of time. And them making them comply.
To me, insisting that a young child lies down and stays still and unoccupied when they're not tired- accompanied by the inevitable threats, pleading, raised voices, bribes, lies and confrontations when they won't comply- is a recipe for disaster. In some cases, it's completely disrespectful and in breach of the rights of the child (as laid down by the United Nations).
Does that shock you- that carers threaten, bribe and lie to children? It shocks me. I can't do it. So why is it such common practice?
And yes, it IS common practice. Here are a few anecdotes from 'rest times I have seen'.
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