Tuning in and Embracing the Challenging Toddler November 7, 2016 - - PDF document

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Tuning in and Embracing the Challenging Toddler

November 7, 2016 Holly Hatton-Bowers, PhD hattonb@unl.edu

Practice using the chat area

Please type your name and location Please send to ALL Participants

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During the webinar, we will engage in Quick Writes

Quick Write:

In the text chat area please write your questions, feedback, and comments.

Introductions

Holly Hatton-Bowers Assistant Professor and Infant Toddler Specialist

Purpose of Today’s Webinar

• Describe challenging behaviors demonstrated by toddlers to help

child care providers understand why these behaviors occur

• Explore reasons behind challenging behavior for toddlers
• Discuss specific strategies for supporting toddlers when they are

experiencing challenges and ideas for preventing challenging behaviors

• Examine ways to discuss challenging behaviors with

parents/caregivers

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What is challenging behavior?

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning’s definition of challenging behavior for children from birth to 5 years old is:

• Any repeated pattern of behavior that interferes with learning or

engagement in prosocial interactions with peers and adults, and

• Behaviors that are not responsive to the use of developmentally

appropriate guidance procedures.

• Embedded in the caregiver-child relationship and interactions (Smith &

Fox, 2003)

• Can put a child at high risk for later social problems or failing in

school and can be harmful to the child, children, other adults (Kaiser &

Rasminsky, 2012)

Quick Write

In thinking about challenging behaviors, what behaviors do you find the most challenging among toddlers?

Examining Acting Out and Withdrawing Behaviors

Acting Out Withdrawing

• Looking sad
• Not showing a

preference for a caregiver

• Rarely talking
• Not making eye

contact

• Overly avoidant or

compliant with caregiver

• Frequent or

intense tantrums

• Pushing
• Hitting
• Biting
• Persistent refusal

to participate

• Harm to self and
• thers
• Inconsolable crying
• Happens frequently
• Impacts the quality of care
• Affects the child’s relationships

with peers

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Poll

Are you comfortable helping toddlers with their challenging behaviors?

• Yes
• No
• Somewhat

Why focus on challenging behaviors in the toddler years?

• Young children demonstrating challenging behaviors associated or

predictive of:

• Peer rejection
• Academic challenges
• Delinquency
• Later substance abuse
• Punitive contacts with teachers
• Families are frustrated
• Classrooms are disrupted

Quick Write Reflect on the Positives In thinking about a child who has demonstrated challenging behaviors, what are there positive characteristics or strengths?

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What does behavior tell us?

Unable to:

• Form close and secure relationships that are

responsive and consistent

• Feel safe to explore the environment and

learn

• Experience, regulate and express emotions

Behaviors you see Reasons and Unmet Needs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acAJsiEKxzg (3 minutes)

Infant and Toddler Needs

Feeling safe Consistent, trusting, responsive relationship with one adult Environment matches child temperament Good nutrition Good health Structure and consistency Adequate rest Stimulating and engaging environment Opportunity to move A sense of belonging with family and culture Sensory Integration

Common Reasons for Toddlers Using Challenging Behavior to Communicate

Challenges or lack

• f skills in

communicating Medical or health problems Temperament Lack of Sleep Sensory challenges Discontinuity in the home and child care settings Challenges in the home environment (i.e., material depression) Developmental Surge Combination of more than

• ne of these

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Digging Deeper: Vignette

What’s beneath the challenging behavior?

Recognize, Reflect, Respond

• Behavior has a purpose
• Infants and toddlers’ behavior is not manipulation
• Also ask what are the positive traits?

Recognize: The child is having a difficult, challenging time, not trying to be difficult Reflect: What is the intent of the child’s communication? Respond (not react): Identify ways to fulfill the need of the child

• r helping the child

learn other ways to communicate needs

Reflect: What is the meaning of the behavior?

• Focus on the child’s experience (what is the purpose of

the behavior?)

• Be intentional in your problem-solving
• Respond with empathy

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Reflect: What is developmentally appropriate?

• Self-Control
• Caregiver-child interactions and the development of a secure

attachment and secure relationships, provides the framework for child’s development of self-control

• Self-control is the adaptive and voluntary control over your

thoughts, feelings, and actions

• Self-control is necessary to cooperate, follow directions, control

impulses, and manage negative emotions.

Recent Survey of Parents: Expectation Gap

• Skill attained approximately 3-4 years
• In survey 29% of parents said 3 or older

(28%=2 years, 23%=1 year, 20%=birth to 6 months) Share and take turns with

• ther children
• Skill attained approximately 3.5-4 years
• In survey 44% of parents said 3 or older

(20%=2 years, 18%=1 year, 18%=birth to 6 months) Resist desire to something forbidden

• Skill attained approximately 3.5-4 years
• In survey 58% of parents said 3 or older

(18%=2 years, 24%=1 year or younger) Control his/her emotions (e.g., tantrums when frustrated)

Tuning In: Parents of Young Children Tell Us What They Think, Know and Need is a comprehensive research undertaking by ZERO TO THREE and the Bezos Family Foundation, 2016.

Self-control: Infancy

Little emotional or behavioral control, rely almost entirely on caregivers Facial expression, non-verbal vocal expressions (crying, screaming, laughing), physical movements (stomping, kicking, hitting) Physical comfort: touch, rocking, sucking, holding

Developmental Expectations Communication Caregivers

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Self-control: Toddlerhood

First year children are still mostly learning through physical interactions (non-verbal). They start to use more emotion language as they approach 2 years, which allows them to begin to verbalize their emotional states and needs. Mostly non-verbal, but emerging language should be used to teach emotions. “You are stomping your feet. You are mad.” Still want physical comfort, physical reorienting

Developmental Expectations Communication Caregivers

Movie In Brief: Early Childhood Mental Health

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L41k2p-YRCs

Quick Write:

How does the information in the movie contribute to your thinking about challenging behaviors in toddlers?

11/4/2016 9 Reflect: What is happening in the brain of the toddler?

Source: www.carriecontey.com Parenting the Brain

Challenging Behaviors: Strategies to Prevent and Support Toddlers

Prevention is the Best Intervention

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Relationships as a Basis of Prevention

• Foundation is having a relationship-based approach in child care settings (Fox &

Hemmeter, 2014)

• Nurturing and supportive relationships
• High quality supportive environments
• Culturally responsive practices
• Interventions focused on fostering sensitive and responsive teacher-child interactions for children

who demonstrated challenging behaviors in child care associated improved activity in children’s stress response system (declines in cortisol) (Hatfield & Williford, 2016)

Strategy: Become Self-Aware and Gain Perspective

What is the child’s behavior bringing up for me? What emotions am I feeling when this behavior happens? Am I feeling this way because of my

• wn “stuff”?

Do I have reasonable expectations? Do I always feel this way each day when this behavior

• ccurs?

Is there something about my family or culture that makes me feel less tolerate? Is my temperament similar or different from the child?

Document and Observe to Learn

Daily Events Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

• Drop off

Mom drops off child Charlie takes the bus (stayed the night with this dad) Mom drops off Mom drops off Charlie takes the bus (stayed the night with this dad)

• Breakfast

Charlie eats oatmeal Charlie eats yogurt Charlie eats oatmeal Charlie eats cheerios Charlie eats eggs and cottage cheese

• Small group child led

activities (e.g., puzzles) Charlie goes to the quiet space looking at books. Charlie chooses to play with Legos with Sam and Sara, Charlie bites Sara Charlie plays with trains with Sam Charlie plays with Legos with Sara Charlie plays with cars with Sam and Sara. Charlie hits and bites Sara.

• Observation and documentation by more than one person
• Completed at various times of the day on multiple days,

Example of a “Snap shot”: A Look at 2 year old Charlie’s Week. Mom and dad are recently separated.

• Identify when the behavior occurs
• What happens before it occurs?
• Who is in the environment?
• When is it happening?

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What does Charlie’s behavior tell us?

Biting

• Exploring cause and effect?
• Need for autonomy?
• Frustrated?
• Anxious?
• Tried?
• Inability to express feelings
• r needs verbally?
• Not feeling safe on the bus?
• Others?

Strategy: Respond, Don’t React

• Supportive child care provider and child relationships
• Shift toward responding rather than reacting
• Responses should be calm, direct, honest, non-punitive (Landsbury, 2012)
• If needed offer 2 or 3 choices

Do you want an apple, carrots, or string cheese for a snack? You may walk holding my hand or will carry you. What do you prefer? Example: “I won’t let you hit. You are so upset that we have to leave the park and you want to play.”

“During the toddler years, our most reasonable expectation is the

• unreasonable. Expecting the madness makes it far easier to keep our cool.”

– Janet Landsbury, 2014

Strategy: Connect and Redirect

Connect so that child feels “seen”- accept and acknowledge Then set boundary

• r problem-solve

Remain “unruffled” Calm and consistent

Siegel, D.J. (2012) The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind. http://www.janetlansbury.com/2016/03/how-to-calm-an-angry-child/

Remain calm (not urgent or emotional), “You didn’t like that you can’t throw toys at Elise. You feel like throwing things. I’m here to stop you.”

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Child Needs Time to Respond

• Provide enough time for children to respond
• Give the child 5 to 10 seconds to respond before you give

an additional prompt or request.

• If the child is asked to respond verbally, he may need time

to find the right words.

Strategy: Create Child Care Environments that Prevent Challenging Behaviors

• Implementing classroom-wide practices can resolve many

challenging behaviors (Dunlap et al., 2015)

• Environment supports engagement and minimizes disruption
• Transitions should be minimized and time spent in

developmentally appropriate activities should be maximized

• Plan a schedule with fewer times when children all transition at the same time
• Have more time spent in child-directed activities

“There is an inherent challenge in describing what mindfulness is during the early years because young children are naturally mindful. Like adults, they may become distracted by the many demands for their attention in the environment. Even toddlers, who are known for their very short yet developmentally appropriate attention spans, are genuinely focused on their immediate experience. Since young children – across all types of diversity – are naturally curious about their world in which they live, let us ponder how we can best support young children’s natural states of joy, wonder, and engagement – or at the very least move out of the way so they can experience their world mindfully.” (Erwin & Robinson, 2016, pg. 287)

11/4/2016 13 Strategy: Create Child Care Environments that Prevent Challenging Behaviors

• Sufficient and uncluttered space for active play, a quite cozy

spot for individual and quiet play

• Use mealtimes as an opportunity for discussion and interaction,

an opportunity to foster responsive sensitive interactions and prevent challenging behaviors

“Daily routines are fundamental to high quality infant–toddler care and create abundant opportunity for teachers to engage in meaningful interactions that promote the learning and development of young children” (Hallam et al., 2016, pg. 52)

Research Says

• Balanced schedule of teacher & child led activities associated increased learning in preschool

(Diamond et al., 2013)

• Predictable, organized routines helps children regulate emotions (National Research Council, 2002)

Strategy: Mindfulness Practices

• In my own work, emerging evidence of the benefits of integrating mindfulness practices

in early childhood settings for toddlers

• Child care providers may also benefit, increasing their sensitivity, creativity, and identifying

innovative ways to create their child care environments by using mindfulness practices (Capel,

2012)

Benefits of Mindfulness Practice for Young Children

Improve focus and attention, increase calmness Improve self- regulation (e.g., delay of gratification) Improve motor/physical development Increase ability to manage social emotional behaviors

Strategy: Using Picture Books to Label and Express Emotions

• Teach children how to label and express emotions using picture books
• When children do not have the emotional vocabulary to communicate

feelings picture books can be helpful (Lowe, 2009)

• Teachers use bilbilotherapy to promote positive attitudes

when child is having challenges (Kramer & Smith, 2008)

Research Says

• Research finds that using picturebooks with three to five year olds in preschool and pre-k classrooms

promotes social-emotional development (e.g., identify and label their own emotions) (Parmis, 2016)

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Picture Books for Toddlers

Feelings

My Many Colored Days

• Dr. Suess

Lots of Feelings

• Shelly Rotner

Grumpy Bird

• Jeremy Tankard

Anger

Words Are Not for Hurting – Elizabeth Verdickem When I Feel Angry

• Cornelia Maude Spelman

Llama Mad at Mama

• Anna Dewdney

Self Control

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

• Mo Willems

Quiet Loud

• Linda Patricellei

No Yes

• Linda Patricellei

Source: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/7-books-about-feelings-for-babies-and-toddlers

Strategy: Family Involvement

• In a recent survey of parents of young children, 61% of moms and 50% of dads said

that, “figuring out the most effective way to discipline” is one of the biggest challenges and “managing my child when he/she misbehaves” is one of the top five challenges*

This is across economic and education segments

• Parents want support and strategies to parent challenging behaviors

Recent qualitative study found that parents of preschools prefer verbal communication that is accessible not during pick up or drop off, prefer workshops, practical, hands-on demonstrations, and want a support relationship with the teacher (Cummings, 2016).

• Engage full participation of parents in observation to ensure consistency across settings

and meet the developmental expectations and goals (Knoche et al., 2012)

*

Katrina P. Cummings (2016): Supporting parent engagement in programme-wide behavioural intervention implementation, Early Child Development and Care, DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2016.1177042

How to talk to parents/caregivers about the challenging behavior? Questions to Ask Parents

Do you have any ideas about why this behavior is happening? When and where does your child’s challenging behavior happen, and what has typically happened before and after? What is your infant’s or toddler’s challenging behavior like for you? How are you feeling about your child’s behavior? How do you think your child feels when he is engaging in this behavior? How has the behavior affected your relationship with your child? How have these changes affected your relationship with your child? Have there been any changes at home that might help us understand how your child feels? * Adapted from Watson & Hawley, 2010

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Helpful Resources

Books and Articles

• Brazelton, T. B. (1992). Touchpoints: The

essential reference. Reading, MA: Addison

• Landsbury, J. (2014). No Bad Kids: Toddler

Discipline without Shame.

• Landbury, J. (2014). Elevating Child Care: A

Guide to Respectful Parenting

• Liberman, A. (1993). Emotional life of the
• toddler. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
• Sameroff, A. J., McDonough, S. C., &

Rosenblum, K. L. (2003). Treating parent infant relationship problems: Strategies for

• intervention. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
• Zeanah, C. H., (2000). Handbook of infant

mental health (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Zero to Three.

On the Web

• www.challengingbehavior.org Center for

Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior

• www.csefel.uiuc.edu Center on the

Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning

• www.zerotothree.org Zero to Three
• www.ptic.org The Program for Infant

Toddler Caregiver

• http://www.janetlansbury.com/Janet

Landsbury elevating child care

Selected References

Capel, C. (2012). Mindlessness/mindfulness, classroom practices and quality of early childhood education: An auto-ethnographic and intrinsic case research. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 29, 6, 666–680. Diamond, K. E., Justice, L. M., Siegler, R. S., & Snyder, P. A. (2013). Synthesis of IES research on early intervention and early childhood education (NCSER 2013-3001). U.S Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20133001/pdf/20133001.pdf Erwin, E.J. & Robinson, K.A. (2016). The joy of being: making way for young children’s natural mindfulness. Early Child Development and Care, 186, 2, 268-286, DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2015.1029468. Hallam, R. A., Fouts, H.N., Bargreen, K.N., & Perkins, K. (2016). Teacher-child interactions during mealtimes: Observations of toddlers in high subsidy child care settings. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44, 1, 51-59. doi:10.1007/s10643-014-0678-x Knoche, L. L., Edwards, C. P., Sheridan, S. M., Kupzyk, K. A., Marvin, C. A., Cline, K. D., & Clarke, B. L. (2012). Getting Ready: Results of a randomized trial of a relationship-focused intervention on the parent-infant relationship in rural early head start. Infant Mental Health Journal, 33, 439–458. Kramer, P. A., & Smith, G. G. (1998). Easing the pain of divorce through children's literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26, 2, 89-94. Lowe, D. F. (2009). Helping children cope through literature. Forum on Public Policy Online, 1, 1-17. Watson & Hawley (2010). Addressing Challenging Behaviors in Infants and Toddlers. Individualized Interventions Determining the Meaning of Behavior and Development Appropriate Responses. Retrieved from the web: http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ceed/publications/presentations/watson/Indiana_Session_2_41910CWVH.pdf. Tuning In: Parents of Young Children Tell Us What They Think, Know and Need is a comprehensive research undertaking by ZERO TO THREE and the Bezos Family Foundation, 2016.