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Real change begins with the simple act of people talking about what they care about. - Margaret J. Wheatley
I have been working with APPLES Early Childhood Destination: Inclusion project since February. Noah, a two and a half year old boy, has had difficulty warming up to other people. Noah screamed and cried all day because he missed his mom. At first mom would linger around with Noah and then leave after about ten minutes. I liked that she would give him a kiss and tell him, "I will be back after naptime and I love you. Have a good day!" But the process seemed to drag on too long. Later, I talked with mom about being brief with Noah when leaving. Noah's mom was very supportive and worked with me without hesitation. Noah's crying continued for days. I asked APPLES for help.
Some of the suggestions for helping Noah were:
- Create a morning routine. Greet Noah and Mom and say, "Good morning, I'm so glad you came today!"
- Have toys or activities that he likes ready and available for him when he arrives.
- Play next to him.
- Invite another child to play with him (or join both of you in play).
- Have an individual or classroom visual schedule to show him specifically when Mom will return.
I asked Mom to give Noah a picture of her to bring to school. I made sure I took time to greet them each day. Noah really likes playing with play dough, so I sat down with him each morning at the play dough table. I then invited his friend Sarah to play too. Finally, I used the visual classroom schedule to show him each activity throughout the day. Every time he saw the picture of children napping, he would smile. He would smile because I kept telling him that after nap, mom would pick him up.
These strategies helped me stay calm and prepare for his crying. I learned that I was helping Noah cope and deal with his feelings and that this was helpful in guiding him to be independent. I eventually developed a secure relationship with Noah and a routine that made both of us feel successful. The crying did not go away immediately, but each day his crying was shorter and shorter.
-from a teacher in Allegany County |
