Is "No" a must never say?

Today Jana and I discussed the differences in childcare facilities in our area. She was so comfortable today because our kids are so well behaved! I was thrilled with the positive input. She was amazed that they played well together and that the noise level was so low. She said repeatedly that other places are so chaotic because providers aren’t allowed to correct poorly behaved children. I was shocked to learn that telling a child “no” is a “must never say”.

It is against the law in the state of Indiana to put a child in time-out. Others focus on a method of “redirection”. I agree with this method, but how are you supposed to redirect a child who continually hurts other children? How is he/she supposed to understand that his/her actions were cruel and unkind if there are no consequences? This leaves the provider with no alternatives that effectively work. How is the provider expected to handle his/her job?

Our goal is to teach our children to become adults. Their best example comes from their parents and care providers. We teach them how to become civilized through discipline and structure.

Our children have a discipline chart designed by Miss Kelly. Each child begins with a star and a crown in his/her name pocket. If the child makes another child cry, is disobedient, or destructive he/she will get a blue face in their pocket. If the child has another offense he/she will receive a green face. The green face is strike 3. If bad behavior continues we call the parents. When our form of discipline fails we have no other options.

The chart has worked wonders and the children really have something to work for. We feel that it is more important to support well-behaved children who want to learn, than focus our attention on punishing children who don’t. The day is less stressful on teachers, and encouraging good behavior is a must in this line of work.

We are blessed to have a great group of kids and an extremely supportive group of parents! We get an A+ from Miss Jana!!