Children may not have awareness of what emotion they are feeling or how it is affecting their behavior. Sharing your observation of their behavior or demeanor and your inference about what it may mean/what feeling it may be coming from can help them come to recognize their own emotions more effectively.

It’s important to be able to speak openly with a coworker or peer who knows you and knows something about the nature of the work. Stress and burnout build much more when a caregiver feels alone and unable to share their experience.

The ability of a caregiver to help a child manage stress depends on a history of responsive and safe interactions between caregiver and child. When a stressful event occurs, or a child is dysregulated, the caregiver can step in as a trusted adult who can share some of the weight of the issue.

When possible, taking a short break can be very helpful. Speaking about a stressor to another teacher or a supervisor can be a relief rather than keeping it bottled up.

Connections with children come naturally through daily conversation and interaction where the provider shows interest, care, and attention to the children they work with, and responds to their needs.

A two month old should only use CPSC-approved cribs/bassinets with no loose bedding.

Physical activity can be encouraged with somewhat challenging, organized games led and facilitated by adults that get children excited to be active together.

You might be able to make healthy habits fun by getting deeper into the reasoning behind them, telling stories about the cause and effect of e.g. hand washing. This might satisfy children’s curiosity.

I might highlight the process for washing and sanitizing dishes. In my program, children begin the process of washing their own dishes, but this is finished by staff who clean any remaining food from dishes and then process them in an industrial sanitizer.

I might feel worried about the repurcussions of my action (having heard narratives that cast doubt on the effectiveness of CPS/removing children from their families), but as a mandated reporter faced with potential evidence of abuse, I would be forced to swallow my doubts and make a report.

My biggest worry is preventing accidental injury. I hope to learn more about recognizing and managing possible concussions.

Relationships are built through frequent conversation about a family’s child and the events of the day, the provider’s observations, etc. Providers should strive for honest discussion and vulnerability rather than overconfidence–providers have expertise in child development generally but families are experts in their own children.… Read more

As the parent of a young child, I’d want accountability from my child’s provider, regular detailed communication about goings on at the learning center or school and my child’s experiences and behavior, and to be able to feel confident that my child is safe throughout the day.I’d fear that my child might not be listened to or… Read more

One way could be to use a “serve and return” approach with questions regarding the environment. I recall having an extended conversation about beavers with a 6 year old student at an outdoor program. She wondered if beavers lived in the area of the forest we were in, and instead of of simply saying I didn’t know or I didn’t think so, I… Read more

A daily schedule should be well understood by all staff. When staff are confident and consistent in the movement from one activity to the next, children will be able to learn the sequence of daily activities as well through daily practice.

I’ve observed that ample space for creative work like drawing, painting, and crafts has benefited the students I work with, with many becoming quite absorbed in these activities.

This discussion should be approached sensitively and with ample preparation. A provider should be able to point to the specific evidence and observations they or others have made that could indicate a developmental delay, and to confidently supply the resources that would be necessary for further assessment and support. Providing this… Read more

Observing and documenting a child’s development is the basis for individualized, developmentally-appropriate care. Each child will reach developmental milestones at a different time compared to other children, in addition to having a different temperament, background, and set of interests. Observation helps providers collect and organize all… Read more

Not all screen time is created equal. Screens are a window into the wider interconnected world of culture and knowledge that can spark engagement and curiosity. But media designed for children often encourages a passive “viewing” state rather than engagement that might encourage creativity or play. When screen media is used as a distraction… Read more

Providers in an early learning environment can foster “serve and return” first by careful observation of the children in their care, and especially watching for cues that children are interested in initiating contact over some object or activity in the environment. It helps to have an environment furnished with a diverse array of materials… Read more

This conversation would need to start with showing compassion and understanding rather than impatience. Assuming that the parent has an understandable reason for being late, even though it is not an acceptable outcome, could build trust. This conversation could build into problem solving the issue that is causing the lateness or searching… Read more

1. WAC 110-300-0160 discusses diversity in early learning. WACs 110-300-0080 and 110-300-0085 discuss collaboration and communication with families.2. The WACs communicate that diversity and communication with families is paramount. 110-300-0160 states that providers must intervene when biased behavior is displayed by children or by adults.… Read more

1. I discovered the WACs are extremely detailed and a bit forbidding to read through quickly. It would take a lot of time to be deeply familiar with them.2. None of the WACs really surprised me. It was interesting to see the legal definitions of lead teacher, assistant teacher, aide, volunteer, etc.3. It seems like the WACs would most… Read more