All children deserve to be cared for with love and respect.

Early Childhood Educators are expected to engage children in conflict resolution and problem solving using the Guidance method.

"Guidance is about building an encouraging setting for every person in the group. It means helping young children understand they can learn from their mistakes, and it starts with showing them how. To give this help successfully, we need to build relationships with every child—especially with the children we find difficult to connect with and understand. We build these relationships from day one, outside of conflict situations. It is only when children know and trust us in day-to-day interactions that they will listen to us when conflicts happen (after we have helped everyone calm down)." https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2020/using-guidance-not-discipline

Educators will use and model the 5 Guidance actions in a friendly tone:

  1. Describe the scene

  2. Calm who needs calming

  3. Lead each child to describe the conflict, starting with the younger child

  4. Solve the problem with the children (not for them)

  5. Follow up with one or all children in the conflict by having a guidance talk, helping each child learn how to get along better next time

All KinderSprout Early Childhood Educators are expected to implement positive child guidance. Children will come to trust staff members, knowing that they are all going to manage challenging behaviours using the same strategies and common language.

Educators will not:

  • inflict, or cause to be inflicted, any form of physical punishment, verbal or physical degradation, or emotional deprivation

  • deny or threaten to deny any basic necessity

  • use or permit the use of any form of physical restraint, confinement, or isolation

For more information on Positive Child Guidance, please check out these articles:

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2020/using-guidance-not-discipline

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/dec2012/planning-for-positive-guidance

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2017/culturally-appropriate-positive-guidance

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2016/culturally-responsive-strategies