3.1 Behaviour Management

Contents

1. House Rules and Code of Behaviour
2. Creating the Right Culture
3. Good Practice
   
   Appendix 1: Sample House Rules/Code of Behaviour

1. House Rules

The Manager must ensure that a set of House Rules or Code of Behaviour is drawn up in consultation with the Parents; it should be prominently displayed in the Centre and copies available for parents and visitors. 

The House Rules/Code of Behaviour must be reviewed twice a year.

See Appendix 1: Sample House Rules/Code of Behaviour

Staff should be aware of the house rules, which have been drawn up with the parents and children attending the Children's Centre.

Behavioural expectations vary greatly among different cultures, social groupings and child rearing practices.  Their own background, culture and what they experienced as a child affect adult's feelings about behaviour management.

It is for all staff in the Children's Centre to work in partnership with parents to create their own culture for accepted behaviours.

2. Creating the Right Culture

Discipline/behaviour management is a clear set of rules defining conduct and behaviour that is explained to the children and understood by the staff. The staff model and teach children what is good to do, what is not good, what is safe, what angers or hurts, what pleases and what positive ways can be used to release anger and frustration.

Staff ultimate goal of discipline/behaviour management is to teach children self discipline and an understanding of the consequences of their behaviour. When children are self-disciplined and self directed, their needs and interests become clearer to them and to others. From this, a child centred curriculum readily follows.

Behaviour management should be consistent as this minimises confusion and ensures that children are clear about what behaviour is expected from them and from each other.

To do this the centre aims to provide a warm, safe, happy and secure environment as the springboard from which learning can occur. To promote positive disciplinary procedures for children, the staff will use positive techniques of guidance, redirection and reinforcement rather than promote comparison, competition or criticism. When behaviour management is positive it does not damage self-esteem, but allows children to feel capable, competent and to experience pleasure from being around others. It takes into account the children's developmental understandings and abilities, recognising that needs and behaviours change as children grow and mature.

Positive behaviour management praises and acknowledges caring, co-operative and desirable behaviours.

Staff should use positive language to direct children, for example, "walk inside" not "Don't run inside".

Language used does not label the child but labels the behaviour, for example, "the way you behaved was not kind" not "you are an unkind boy/girl".

Positive language can teach, give simple explanations and/or offer alternatives so that a child can make judgements and choices and thus, in time, wise decisions. It is based on self-control not coercion. It leads to self discipline, recognising that this is often a long, slow process.

While the need for behaviour management is inevitable, it can be minimised by addressing possible causes of inappropriate behaviour through sensitive and individual programming.

Some causes of inappropriate behaviour include; anger and frustration, boredom, desire for attention, imitation, tiredness, excitement, jealousy, social clumsiness, high activity levels and too much choice or lack of choice.

The staff aim to provide children with an understanding of the limits of acceptable behaviour, the reasons for these limits, consistency in the management of our behaviour, and to provide good role models for acceptable behaviour.

If children exhibit socially unacceptable behaviour the staff encourage alternative ways that allows all children to feel safe and secure in their environment.

3. Good Practice

Staff should consider the stage of the child's development and not their chronological age.

Staff ensures that positive experiences are provided to support child/ren's self esteem through use of language.

Staff should acknowledge and accept the child's feelings of anger, frustration or jealousy, even if the reaction seems out of proportion to the cause. The feelings are distinguished from what the child actually does about the feelings.

The child is encouraged to talk about their feelings. For example, it is made clear that bad feelings are not bad, only the response (action) to those feelings is unacceptable.

Staff offers alternatives to unacceptable behaviour and give attention and praise to appropriate behaviour.

The Children's Centre should provide a balance of quiet activities and vigorous active ones.

Give attention to both parties involved in a dispute. Staff should comfort the child that has been hurt and talk to the aggressor. Staff should try to empower the child that has been hurt to tell the aggressor how they feel.

Attempt to distract or diffuse the situation. Staff should try and keep the disruptive child occupied.

Respond in a calm but firm manner, indicating to the child what is expected and what choices the child has.

Help the child to realise the consequences of his or her actions.

When a child is physically hurt, normal accident procedures apply, please see Milton Keynes Accident Procedures.

If the techniques listed above are not successful, limits are to be reinforced within the centre through time out. This is the last method used and is never used in a punitive manner. Time out means that when a child's behaviour is unacceptable, they are excluded from the situation for a short period of time. They are not  in the corner or on a naughty chair. This exclusion involves explaining to the child why their behaviour was unacceptable and sitting the child in a space away from the incident and other children for a few minutes. After a short period of time has elapsed, the staff member concerned will talk with the child about what behaviour is acceptable and if they can behave appropriately, the child than rejoins the activity.

If a child's behaviour is an ongoing concern, parents of the child will be informed and consulted to determine if there are other factors affecting the child's behaviour. Strategies can then be developed which are consistent with the family's child rearing practices. Staff and parents together can agree to a Behaviour Management plan, which will be used to identify, staff and parents will regularly review strategies and these plans.

External professionals with behavioural management expertise will be consulted to assist with a situation, which causes concern to staff in consultation with Parents.

If any parent is concerned regarding a child's behaviour at the Centre, they have the right to take it to the Children's Centre Manager. Each situation will be considered on a case by case basis.

Appendix 1: Sample House Rules/Code of Behaviour

Each Centre should have it's own set our 'House Rules' or 'Code of Behaviour'.

The Manager is responsible for drawing it up in consultation with staff and parents/carers, and it should be prominently displayed in the Centre with copies made available for parents and visitors. 

Guidelines for developing House Rules:

Keep Your House Rules Simple

You'll want to keep the House Rules simple enough so that everyone can understand and memorise them, and even repeat them back to you.  Use single words, not complicated sentences

Limit Your List of House Rules to 3-5 Items

A list of ten rules simply can't be memorised, the point of having "House Rules" is to communicate your expectations in a concise, succinct manner so that your everyone can understand and remember them.

Use Positive Language

Phrase the wording in a positive manner. For example, try not to start your rules with the word "don't." Instead of saying "Don't call one another names," try "Be respectful."  Instead of "Don't run" try "Please Walk".

Involve parents and children, even if they are young

You may have some very definite ideas about what will work in your Centre and what won't. However, giving the children and parents  a chance to participate in writing the house rules will increase their sense of ownership and willingness to follow the rules.

Refer to Your Ground Rules Often

Especially with young children, you want to review the house rules frequently. You can make this into a fun exercise. For example, before attending an activity together, you might say to the parents, "Now, what are the house rules again?"

Example Ground Rules

1. Be Reliable
2. Be Respectful
3. Look After each other
4. Use your manners
5. Talk to each other

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