Early years practitioners always aim to work with the parents and carers of children they look after. But the importance of this relationship is increasingly significant as families and schools prepare for children to return to education in September after lockdown. For this reason, child and family support worker at St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School in Surrey, Catharine Adjei, took part in an online workshop where carers and practitioners together addressed children’s challenging behaviour.
Delivered by education and parenting consultant Ali McClure, 20 people participated in B.L.T. – Behaviour, Learning and Trust. The two-hour workshop began with participants introducing themselves and their children, and each described a challenge with which they wanted help. Practitioners were asked to focus on one child rather than a whole class.
Ms McClure then gave three presentations: What makes our children behave as they do and how we can help them? Ways to better understand how our children learn, and how this, self-esteem and behaviour are so closely linked. And how positive relationships, respect and trust between parents, teachers and pupils form the foundations for success.
Ms Adjei says having parents and practitioners jointly sharing experiences in such an environment was less intimidating for the parents.
Ms McClure’s ‘allow, adapt and add’ theory of managing children’s behaviour was particularly helpful. For example, ‘If a child physiologically needs to bite because they’re growing, some behaviours need to be allowed.’ As biting is not socially acceptable, Ms Adjei suggests offering toddlers a teething toy or toothbrush. A child who likes to kick might benefit from football.
‘It’s about looking at unwanted behaviours with a child in nursery as you would at home,’ she says.
Ms McClure is hosting the workshop again on 13 August 2020.