Nurturing the well-being of a child

Yesterday, a child was struggling to put his shoes on, and he called out for help in panic. I had to hold back my laughs to give him some help. He was the biggest and tallest boy at kindy, always forgets his gentle hands, tends to push the limits and boundaries, very articulate, good at asking challenging questions...Yet, putting on his shoes frustrated him. When I helped him with his shoe, I demonstrated and explained to him first he needed to undo the velcro, then adjust the tongue of the shoe, before pushing his foot in, and so on. He listened attentively. But, just an hour ago, he declared, "I don't have to listen to you!"

In the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum , nurturing the well-being of a child is an important component, as it empowers the child to determine their own actions and their own choices. As in the situation described before, the boy was in a rush to join the others outside, trying out the new jumping game, and he was the last one got his shoes on. He definitely would feel better about himself if he put his shoes on as quickly as what the others did.

For another example. Some parents are a bit worried about having water play in winter. On warmer days, we fill up the water trough and remind children to get changed when wet. Of course, those who need a teacher to change them tend not to get involved. Those who have learnt to change themselves are happily playing with water. Subsequently, most children are motivated to pick up the dressing skills.

Self-help and self-care skills should be part of the learning and teaching in early childhood. Teachers used to think they are not baby-sitters and focused more on traditional learning, like literacy and numeracy. Thinking deeper, it is equally important for young children to pick up and practice self-help skills at kindy. It's late winter, when the weather is getting warmer, and most children were wearing their warm sweater in the afternoon, and they become hot, thirsty and grumpy. The behavior management problem was instantly solved once I reminded them to go and get a drink of water. They have to learn to listen to and respond to the needs of their body, simply by taking or putting on their jacket, getting a drink, taking a break and so on.

An older teacher at the kindy often brings out a board game or group game, when she noticed that the children become tired and play unproductively, such as tipping things out. Young children are still learning to identify their physical and emotional needs, and it's the adult's responsibility to help them to regulate their emotions and behaviors, and to show them some coping strategies.

In such situations, the adult may need to be more directive in giving instruction, such as go and find some quiet things to do; shall we sit down and do a puzzle/read a book? Untrained teachers, sometimes, just wind themselves up instead, when children are not playing nicely. Actually, it's time to intervene, and it could be an excellent opportunity to nurture the well-being of a child.

Fellow teachers of young children, stay calm and keep up with your good work!