Positive Discipline

Positive Discipline How to Treat Children Conduct Relating to Discipline Inappropriate Discipline and Inappropriate Touches

How to Treat Children Quality childcare can be easily predicted in environments where children are respected and spoken to in developmentally appropriate methods that promote a positive self-esteem and an environment of cooperation.

How to Treat Children, cont. Please implement the following comments in your Little Sunshine's Playhouse classroom setting: Respect the child as a person and respect their parents’ wishes regarding the child’s care. Be attentive to each individual child’s needs and mindful of their feelings. Build self-esteem by making children feel important. Get down physically on the children’s level and sit on the floor sometimes. Be affectionate. Hug and love the children in your class.

How to Treat Children, cont. Other practices to implement in the Little Sunshine’s Playhouse classroom setting: Be a role model. Do not do anything else you ask children not to do. Stay in your class with your children. Do not yell at a child or at a class of children. Rather than raising your voice, walk over to the child, get on their level, and explain what it is you would like them to do. Prepare children for what’s happening. (Example: “You have five minutes left, and then we’re going to eat lunch). Follow Discipline Policy Keep your class on schedule and engaged in the School curriculum. Keep children clean (wash hands often, wash dirty faces, change clothes when necessary, maintain clean diapers).

How to Treat Children, cont. Never use ANY form of physical contact as a form of punishment (will result in immediate termination and any applicable criminal and/or civil charges). Do not embarrass or scare a child. Do not degrade a child or his/her parents. Do not make fun of a child (be careful not to do this accidentally). Be mindful of your own words. They are a key in shaping a child’s self esteem and self-control either for the better or the worse. Talk to children, tell them about yourself and ask them open-ended questions to promote good conversation skills. Speak to and treat children in the exact way you do when their parent is present.

Conduct Relating to Discipline: Quick Guide Do: Practice the following behaviors daily to maintain healthy relationships and to provide necessary boundaries for children. Speak calmly, slowly, and in appropriate tone and volume. Walk over to children and get on their level to talk. Form strong relationships with each individual child. This bond will make them respect your thoughts and expectations much more. Be a role model. Be tender and caring throughout the day. Be firm when necessary. Sit down on the kid’s level and be involved in their play and conversations. Anticipate problems and intervene accordingly. Communicate daily with families about the child’s progress and behavior. Brag on them every chance you get to build up their self-esteem. Give children choices. Tell children what you want them to do rather than what to stop doing. For example: say “use your walking feet” instead of “stop running.” Prepare children throughout the day. For example: say “in five minutes we’re going outside, after that we’ll have lunch.” They will transition easier.

Conduct Relating to Discipline: Quick Guide, cont. Don’t: The following items are unacceptable on the part of any staff person. Directors and owners need to keep themselves extremely accountable. The way you discipline children will filter down! Disciple and speak to children the way you want your staff to do so. Do not raise your voice to a child. Do not speak negatively about a child or parent in front of a child. Do not grab a child by the arm. Do not yell across the classroom or playground to a child. Do not attempt to intimidate a child in any way. Do not point your finger in a child’s face Do not hold a child’s face to look at you. Do not administer any form of corporal punishment. Do not harshly order or degrade a child. For example: “Do it NOW!” Do not embarrass a child during discipline. Do not take away a child’s entire outside play time for any reason. Do not speak to a parent regarding their child(ren)’s behavior or have sensitive conversations in front of other parents. Do not close yourself in any room with a child alone. Do not involve sleep or eating as a part of your discipline

Inappropriate Discipline and Inappropriate Touches It is vitally important that all employees follow the Discipline Policies and maintain appropriate touches at all times with students as stated. YOU MUST AT ALL TIMES REFRAIN FROM ALL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT, including but not limited to: hitting, slapping, biting, jerking, pushing, choking, pulling hair, pinching, withholding of food, force-feeding, kicking, stomping, degrading, embarrassing, and harassing children or encouraging other children or their parents to do so. YOU MUST ALSO AT ALL TIMES REFRAIN FROM: speaking sexually, touching children’s private areas inappropriately, or allowing/encouraging other children to do so.  

Inappropriate Discipline and Inappropriate Touches, cont. It is your utmost duty to ensure the total physical and emotional safety of the students in our program. Any breach of this provision is grounds for immediate termination and will be reported to child abuse agencies. You may be held personally liable in a court of law for damages to students and school reputation/business, up to and including damages, fines, attorney fees, and jail time, and a lifetime record of child abuse. Protect yourself and the school from untrue claims by staying within the camera’s view and not being alone with a child in a private area (such as a bathroom, closet, etc.). Encourage older children to be independent, as much as possible in the restroom. And, when possible have another adult around during diaper changing and times that you need to enter a restroom with a child. A good amount of common sense combined with reasonable caution will eliminate most issues that could arise.

This concludes the Positive Discipline training, please reach out to your Program Director with any specific questions you have on this material.