Child Care Question of the Month Archive


I have a three year old son who is really struggling at daycare right now. A few of the other boys are leaving him out at playtime and he's really taking it hard. I never expected to be dealing with this with a boy, much less at such an early age. How can I help him feel better about the situation and how can I work with his care provider to make things better?

Julie says : It is a key responsibility of caregivers to create an environment in which All children feel included. In fact it is one of their main responsibilities.When exclusion does occur, it is important that the caregiver present help the child who is feeling left out express those emotions in the moment, and then move on to creating good strong relationships with a variety of children in the program. That way, something that started out as a real negative can be turned into a learning moment for all the children involved.

This is a situation that really will fall to the caregivers to correct. It is difficult for parents to play a direct role as they are typically removed from the day to day interactions with the children and the intricacies of their relationships. If you have an open relationship with your caregiver (which is a wonderful thing to have and important to your child's well-being) simply explain what you've been hearing and they should take it from there.

I have seen these periods of upset between children pass like bad weather.

Hoping you'll see the same,

Julie

Julie Wasiluk was a child care provider for many years. She is currently the professional development program specialist for The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network

 

Back to Top