Developmentally Appropriate

Social/Emotional Environments: Toddlers

Toddler’s Creed

If I want it, it’s mine.If I give it to you and change my

mind, it’s mine.If I can take it away from you, it’s

mine.If I had it a little while ago, it’s

mine. If it’s mine it will never belong to anybody else, no matter what.If we are building something

together, all the pieces are mine.If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.

Emotional/Social Issues of Toddlerhood

• Autonomy

• Negativism and Resistance

• Separation

• Egocentric Behavior with Peers

What to do?

Foster Autonomy:

• Provide necessary support for toddlers to complete their self-defined tasks.

• Recognize children’s achievement with genuine admiration

• Offer real choices in areas toddlers can control.

• Encourage independent play requiring exploration and mastery.

• Use names frequently.• Provide all the freedom toddlers can safely use.• Make available materials, utensils and equipment

that can use with little or no assistance.• Observe toddlers for signs of readiness for

learning toilet control and gently introduce them to toilet use.

• Examine adults’ own attitudes to the changing relationship with toddlers.

Respond to Resistance and Negativism

• Consider safety• Understand and accept

resistance• Avoid power struggles that

produce winners and losers• Give toddlers choices within

absolutes to allow them to avoid resistance

• Use statements and not questions• Give rhythm

• Allow them to do as much for themselves as they can

• Avoid the use of the word NO• Keep a sense of humor

Helping with Separation

• Accepting the evidence of fear, sadness or anger that toddlers may show and prepare them for new situations. Create separation policies in centers and classrooms

• Greeting toddlers and their parents warmly at the beginning of the day

• Expect that each toddler has an individual timetable in coping with their difficulty of separation.

• Staying physically close to toddlers so they can hold or touch adults when they need them or make them feel that they are available.

• Recognizing the difficulty of the toddler during naptime and mealtime and ignoring behaviors that may accompany the pain of separation.

• Encourage toddlers to bring their favorite toys, blankets or other security objects belonging to their parents to make them feel safe.

Working with Egocentric Behavior with Peers

• Recognize that toddlers first have to be autonomous before learning group membership

• Provide materials that toddlers can easily share

• Help toddlers become aware of each other positively

• Play with them to model cooperation

WHAT CREATES DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS?

• Too high expectations for self-control• Too little or too much open space• Too few or too little equipment or materials• Too much waiting time• Inflexible routines• Too much change• Too much noise• Long or frequent periods of sitting still• Too many times when children are expected to just

look instead of getting directly involved