About Discipline in Preschool

According to Diane Levin, Ph.D., of Wheelock College, a positive preschool-parent relationship “demonstrates to your child that he can trust his teacher, because you do.”

Because your child spends so much of their day in preschool, it’s only natural that tricky behavioral situations will arise. As such, choosing a preschool that aligns with your own values and goals is key.

The goal of discipline is to help children to develop self-control in an age-appropriate way. Therefore, it’s necessary for kids to understand rules, the reasons for rules, and the consequences of their own actions. Preventing problems is essential to good discipline. The following techniques are used to establish discipline at My Place Early Learning Center:

• Distracting children from potential problems

• Reminding kids of the rules

• Helping kids to solve problems and to make choices

• Allowing children to take time away from the group to regain control

• Ignoring inappropriate behavior

• Noticing and reinforcing appropriate behavior

• Helping children articulate their feelings

• Helping children understand the consequences of their actions

“Positive parenting” is a mindset where the focus is on nurturing, guidance, empathy, and encouragement, rather than strict rule-following and harsh discipline.

With positive parenting, it’s key to show a child that their feelings are respected, but also ensure they understand what is appropriate and what isn’t.

Studies have shown that behavior problems are more likely to improve when parents switch to positive tactics. Positive parenting has also been shown to reduce stress in children and offer better health outcomes.

At My Place, we never use abusive, neglectful, corporal, humiliating, or frightening punishment under any circumstances. Children are not physically restrained unless it’s necessary to protect the health and safety of the child or others.

We may remove a child from a situation and redirect them to more appropriate behavior. However, we do not practice “time out” as we do not believe that isolation of a child is helpful.

As always, communication with parents is key. As your parenting partner, we believe in open two-way communication about your child’s behavior. We work with you on strategies to help your child feel empowered and supported in all areas of their development.