Ask yourself and others in your program the following:1. Is the policy practical?2. Is the policy age-appropriate for all the children you care for and for yourenvironment?3. Will center based staff, (or family child care assistant if program is familychild care), be able to incorporate the policy and procedures into the dailyoperations of the program? What training may they need?4. Is the information in the policy accessible and easy to use?5. Does the policy do what it’s intended to do regarding the children’s healthand safety?Page 9 TAChildGuidanceGCC20051107

Spanking or other corporal punishment of children;• Subjecting children to cruel or severe punishment such as humiliation,verbal or physical abuse, neglect, or abusive treatment;• Depriving children of meals or snacks;• Using methods such as force feeding children; and,• Disciplining a child for soiling, wetting, or not using the toilet; or forcinga child to remain in soiled clothing or forcing a child to remain on thetoilet, or suing any other unusual or excessive practices for toileting• Including a notation in your policy that Department of Early Educationand Care does not allow and licensed child care programs to use disciplinetechniques that require the use of any physical restraint.

If teachers/providers react angrily to achild’s violent behavior, they are not presenting children with an alternativemodel of how to respond to taxing situations.

Separate the child from the environment, but have the child remain withinthe teacher/provider’s immediate and direct supervision until the child isable to regain self-control and re-join the group;• Have the teacher/provider place him/herself in close proximity to the childuntil the child is able to regain self-control when the child cannot beremoved from the environment. In this instance, the teacher/provider mustalso remove anything within the child’s immediate reach that is a potentialdanger to the child or others.• If necessary, the teacher/provider may use another adult to support andassist in calming the child until the child is able to regain self-control.• Talk calmly to the child; this is always appropriate.Page 4 TAChildGuidanceGCC20051107

Supportive holding of children should be considered only in the following situations:• The child’s safety is at risk;• The safety of other children or adults is at risk;• The child must be moved in order to be safely supervised;• The child demonstrates a sustained behavior that is highly disruptive and/or upsettingto other children necessitating moving the child.

Teaching children coping mechanisms such as, “Taking a break,” and,“Picking another activity”

Providing opportunities for children to learn guidelines for acceptablebehavior

Being clear about rules and being consistent in applying them;

Modeling appropriate behaviors and positive attitudes;

Effective child guidance begins long before problems start.Teachers/providers have to assess their own attitudes andbehavior, the program environment, the daily activity schedule,and the rules they expect children to follow.Teachers/providers need to have a working knowledge of childgrowth and development; model the kind of social skills theywant to see; plan how to use the classroom and the outdoorenvironments to help children learn sharing and cooperationskills; how to adapt the day’s activities, (including transitions), to be moreresponsive to the children; and question whether the expectations of the childrenin their care is realistic.

The positiverelationships and bonds that develop between the caregiver andthe children are the foundation and underpinning to successful experiences inchild care and in preparation for school

2)How young children feel is as important as how they think particularly withregard to school readiness.

The Department of Early Education and Care supports the tremendous work thatis done each day in child care centers, school age programs and family child carehomes. It’s your hard work and efforts that make child care programs and familychild care homes safe, caring environments where children can grow, discover,play and learn.

Ask anyone and they will tell you that helping children develop self-control is anenormous challenge and responsibility.