11/4/2016 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 1
11/4/2016 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 2
11/4/2016 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 • Frequent or • Looking sad intense tantrums • Not showing a • Pushing preference for a • Hitting caregiver • Happens frequently • Biting • Rarely talking • • Impacts the quality of care Persistent refusal • Not making eye to participate • Affects the child’s relationships contact • Harm to self and • Overly avoidant or with peers others compliant with • Inconsolable crying caregiver 3
11/4/2016 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? 4
11/4/2016 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 Consistent, trusting, Environment matches Feeling safe responsive relationship Good nutrition child temperament with one adult Structure and Stimulating and Good health Adequate rest consistency engaging environment A sense of belonging Opportunity to move Sensory Integration with family and culture Common Reasons for Toddlers Using Challenging Behavior to Communicate Challenges or lack Medical or health of skills in Temperament Lack of Sleep problems communicating Challenges in the Discontinuity in the home environment Developmental Sensory challenges home and child (i.e., material Surge care settings depression) Combination of more than one of these 5
11/4/2016 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? Respond (not react): Identify ways to fulfill Reflect: What is the the need of the child intent of the child’s or helping the child communication? learn other ways to Recognize: The child is communicate needs having a difficult, challenging time, not trying to be difficult 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 6
11/4/2016 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 Share and take turns with • In survey 29% of parents said 3 or older other children (28%=2 years, 23%=1 year, 20%=birth to 6 months) • Skill attained approximately 3.5-4 years Resist desire to something • In survey 44% of parents said 3 or older forbidden (20%=2 years, 18%=1 year, 18%=birth to 6 months) Control his/her emotions • Skill attained approximately 3.5-4 years (e.g., tantrums when • In survey 58% of parents said 3 or older frustrated) (18%=2 years, 24%=1 year or younger) 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 Developmental Expectations entirely on caregivers Facial expression, non-verbal vocal expressions (crying, screaming, laughing), physical movements Communication (stomping, kicking, hitting) Physical comfort: touch, rocking, sucking, Caregivers holding 7
11/4/2016 Self-control: Toddlerhood First year children are still mostly learning through physical interactions (non-verbal). They start to use more emotion Developmental language as they approach 2 years, which allows them to begin to Expectations verbalize their emotional states and needs. Mostly non-verbal, but emerging language should be used to teach emotions. “You are stomping your feet. You Communication are mad.” Still want physical comfort, physical reorienting 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? 8
11/4/2016 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 9
11/4/2016 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 Is my me? temperament What emotions am similar or I feeling when this behavior happens? different from the child? Is there something Am I feeling this about my family or way because of my culture that makes own “stuff”? me feel less tolerate? Do I always feel this way each day when Do I have reasonable this behavior expectations? occurs? Document and Observe to Learn • Observation and documentation by more than one person - Completed at various times of the day on multiple days, • Identify when the behavior occurs • What happens before it occurs? • Who is in the environment? • When is it happening? Example of a “Snap shot”: A Look at 2 year old Charlie’s Week. Mom and dad are recently separated. Daily Events Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday • Drop off Mom drops off child Charlie takes the bus Mom drops off Mom drops off Charlie takes the bus (stayed the night with this (stayed the night with this dad) dad) • Breakfast Charlie eats oatmeal Charlie eats yogurt Charlie eats oatmeal Charlie eats cheerios Charlie eats eggs and cottage cheese • Small group child led Charlie goes to the quiet Charlie chooses to play Charlie plays with trains Charlie plays with Legos Charlie plays with cars activities (e.g., space looking at books. with Legos with Sam and with Sam with Sara with Sam and Sara. Charlie puzzles) Sara, Charlie bites Sara hits and bites Sara. 10
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