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What is our role in Early Childhood?

We are in a unique position, as important people, to influence children’s learning and development positively or negatively. Of course, this can be easy to forget when nothing you have planned has worked out for the day.

It is easy to forget when the morning has been rough, and it seems everyone has turned off their “listening ears”. It is easy to forget when your attempts at interactions don’t seem to be reciprocated. It is also easy to forget when the child you are wanting to connect or interact with has some behaviours that challenge you.

Don't be afraid to be silly and play

Not all behaviours are challenging, some are simply behaviours that challenge us as adults. It is important to ask yourself if the behaviour is challenging or if it just challenges you and your expectations? Equally as important is our ability to join in. Children running around is play. It may not be the time and the place we want running to occur but that does not make running a challenging behaviour. Instead of stopping it, perhaps you could join in and redirect the running to a safer place.

Consider ways of joining in and extending children’s learning while running

Could we run a race instead?

Could we time how fast we can run from one end of the playground to the other?

Could we add hurdles in to extend on the gross motor development that is occurring?

What if we ran a relay to encourage social development?

Delight and be curious

Being present and open to play provides us with the opportunities to redirect and extend on children’s learning and interests

Practical ways to interacting

The good news is there are practical ways to engage with all children, so that even if you are feeling challenged you can still get the most out of your interactions with all children.

Children experience themselves through the eyes of their caregiver, that includes us. When we express curiosity and wonder, when we seek their help and advice, when we celebrate their victories and welcome them warmly, we are delighting in them. It tells children that they are well loved and valued (Powell, Cooper & Howell, 2014). Simply noticing what children are doing and encouraging or praising them is a good place to start. It communicates that you notice and acknowledge their presence.

Children’s positive engagement can often go unnoticed, whereas challenging behaviours often attract immediate attention. Make it a point to delight in the moments when children share unexpectedly, when they make the choice to walk instead of running out the door, when they take a moment to share concern for another child.