LESSON 7:

CHALLENGES IN THE
FIRST 3 YEARS
 PRESENTED BY:

Maryjoy Ignacio Riza Singuran Mary Jeyzerylle

Batula
 CONTENT
Lesson 7: Challenges in the First 3 Years
Routines
The Child Who Bites
Tantrums
Sharing and Turn Taking
Sleeping Issues
Typical and Atypical Behavior
 ROUTINE
A
 ROUTINE
routines and schedules of infancy including
eating, awake time, and sleeping,
infants’ability to regulate their own behavior is
initiated.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF LIMIT
SETTING
adults’ demands about behavior in infancy and toddlerhood need to be
realistic and based on developmental norms and individual temperament.
Toddlers have their own unique timetable for acquiring the skills
necessary for potty learning (aka toilet training), which can certainly
exasperate parents and caregivers alike. Using the toilet appropriately
depends on developmental readiness: cognitive understanding, the
ability to communicate, as well as physical maturity.
 ADULT BELIEFS ABOUT
DISCIPLINE
Parents and teachers must observe and pay
careful attention to their own verbal and
nonver-
bal responses to determine if their actions are
supporting their words.
 ADULT BELIEFS ABOUT
DISCIPLINE
Adults also need to consider whether their dis-
ciplinary responses vary with gender.
 THE CHILD WHO BITES
Biting can be regarded as abnormal
or primitive even in young children, resulting in
negative perceptions about the child.
Biting in toddlers and 2-year-olds
who lack sufficient verbal skills is common and
to be expected
 THE CHILD WHO BITES
For many children who are chronic biters, hav-
ing an adult within arm’s reach during a biting
phase is often the best solution. When a child is
reprimanded for biting, it is only after the
episode has occurred, when the child has
already received oral gratification as well as
negative attention.
 THE CHILD WHO BITES
Understanding the reasons for biting influences
the response. For example, a teething child may
need to chew an apple or an angry child might
benefit from open-ended art, music, or
movement activities. A child who bites to seek
attention from adults might stop when
provided with ample positive interpersonal
experiences.
 THE CHILD WHO BITES
Shadowing the child helps to anticipate the behavior and
provides a reassuring presence that assists the child
in behaving appropriately. Stopping the child be-
fore she is successful, and then providing the simple
reminder that biting is not OK along with her re-
moval from the situation, is usually the most
effective strategy. It takes a positive attitude, com-
mitment, and patience, but the child soon learns
that biting will not be tolerated
 TANTRUMS
Tantrums serve as a mechanism for a
child to let off stream or express
dissatisfaction with a situation,
particularly if he lacks the social
and communication skills to
express himself adequately.
 TANTRUMS
Expecting a child to just snap out of
a tantrum is not realistic
developmentally. When tantrums
are ignored, however, they tend to
dissipate over time.
 TANTRUMS
Children learn that temper
tantrums are not an effective
means of getting attention or
what they want.
 TANTRUMS
The adult can reassure the
child that he will be there if
needed, whenever the
tantrum ends.
 SHARING AND TURN TAKING
Sharing is a culturally
based concept, not just a
behavior.
It is ironic that adults
expect children to share
their toys when they
themselves model the
opposite behavior
 SHARING AND TURN TAKING
Developing a community of sharing
evolves slowly over time with concerted
effort and consistent expectations. It is
interesting to watch children who are not
forced to share toys.
 SHARING AND TURN TAKING
Taking turns, perhaps with the help
of a clock or egg timer, is a
dramatically
different approach to forced
sharing.
 SHARING AND TURN TAKING
Providing sharing opportunities
that are inevitable in a classroom
environment, and modeling sharing
behavior, are more subtle ways to
encourage a reluctant child.
 SLEEPING ISSUES
Sleep disturbances in children are a ubiquitous concern among adults who
spend hours walking, rocking, and comforting young children to help them fall
asleep.

Sleep/wake time in children varies tremendously based on age, physiology,

temperament, and environment.
 SLEEPING ISSUES
Why this toddler sleep problem happens?
Toddlers cry out at bedtime for lots of reasons, including:

Illness
Separation anxiety
They're uncomfortable (too hot, too cold, hungry or
thirsty, wet or soiled diaper)
Fears
 SLEEPING ISSUES
Characteristics of parents also have an impact on children’s sleeping
behavior. Depression, anxiety, and stress have been noted in parents of
children who have sleep difficulties (Godfrey, 1998).

What is often overlooked is the adults’ role in establishing clear limits and
routines that facilitate a child’s ability to go to sleep and stay asleep. Parents
and teachers can support each other in their efforts to provide the best and
most consistent care for young children.
 SLEEPING ISSUES
Observations during this time are undoubtedly challenging, requiring
multitasking on the part of the teachers.

The teachers can then modify the environment, change the routine, or
alter their own interactions to achieve the desired results.

This is not easy, as teachers still have a classroom to maintain. In many

cases creating an individual “goingto-sleep ritual” may result in children’s
ability to go to sleep on their own. Naptime rituals may consist of a special
song; a story; a calming sequence of activities; or a unique activity with a
particular child, such as snuggling or rocking in a chair.
 TYPICAL
AND
ATYPICAL BEHAVIOR
 TYPICAL BEHAVIOR
TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT
As children grow they go through different stages and it can help track
a child’s progress. This includes cognitive, physical, language, and
social skills. Children grow differently, however, these milestones
predict the pace at which a child is developing.

Through observation, coupled with knowledgeof child development,

adults learn what is typical behavior in children, aged 0 to 3.
 ATYPICAL BEHAVIOR
ATYPICAL DEVELOPMENT
When children are not meeting milestones that generally arise in a
certain age range, this is defined as atypical. Monitoring a child’s
development is a good way to identify concerns as well as signal the
guardian, health care provider, or teacher if there is need for
intervention.
These behaviors may be transient in nature or suggest a more serious
developmental problem. They are warning signs and may be called
“red-flag behaviors”
ATYPICAL BEHAVIOR
ATYPICAL BEHAVIOR
 WORKING WITH FAMILIES

This process formally begins when parents, teachers,

and the director meet to strategize together. The steps
include planning, implementing, documenting
objective observations, interpretingthose findings,
making recommendations about appropriate
intervention, and then following through.
 WORKING WITH FAMILIES
Acknowledging that one does not have all the answers and knowing when to
get additional help are important professional moments. Child-care programs
and schools can support their teachers by providing in-service workshops
addressing the specific difficulties that children present. Whether the
program is public or privately funded, it is covered by the federal Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, which mandates that all children are entitled
to a free and thorough evaluation and subsequent services if indicated. Some
families are reluctant participants in the diagnostic process because
navigating through the special-services
system can be a daunting challenge.
TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL BEHAVIOR
Developmental discipline is an approach
that is based on appropriate expectations
for both typically and atypically developing
children. Initiated early in infancy, it can set
a foundation for future behavior.
Developmental discipline is a process from infancy through early childhood and
beyond. On the basis of what we discussed in this chapter, we recommend that
teachers do thefollowing:

• Be cognizant of typical and atypical development

• Set limits, beginning in infancy
• Observe infants’ daily routines to be better attuned to their needs and
temperaments
• Recognize that biting and other forms of aggression in infants and toddlers are
develop mentally appropriate
• Maintain realistic expectations about children’s sharing
• Reframe negative behavior in a positive light
• Collaborate with families on observation and
problem solving
THANK YOU