It is vital that the Childminding environment promotes emotional well-
‘Involve all children in welcoming and caring for one another’ PSED
Do you encourage the children to make welcome cards when a new child joins your setting? Or maybe a little welcome sign with their name on it? A special welcome tea party to introduce everyone?
Do you talk to the children about the new child coming, about making them feel welcome? How did they feel when they first started?
Consider making up a ‘Welcome Pack’ for the new child. It could contain photographs of you, your family and the other children in your setting, a special cuddly toy for them to bring each day etc. This would allow the child to become familiar with you all before s/he starts.
Do you have a photograph of each child in a display book or on a noticeboard? Make sure the new child’s photograph is added before they start.
Ask for the child to do you a picture before they start to put up on your fridge (or wherever you display the children’s art work) This will help to make the child feel at ‘home’ from the beginning.
If you have low level pegs for each child, or treasure boxes/bags ensure you have allocated one for the new child and that the existing children know which is theirs so they can support the child too.
It is important to plan more for all the children when you know a new child is starting. You will need to spend more time with the new child, settling them, getting them used to your routines, house rules and the other children. This will take up a considerable amount of your time, so planning activities for the other children that you know they will enjoy and require minimal setting up and clearing away will help alleviate the pressure on you. Starting a new child can be emotionally exhausting for a Childminder, especially if the child is difficult to settle and cries a lot. Make sure you have someone to offer support, maybe a partner or another Childminder.
‘Ensure that each child is recognised as a valuable contributor to the group and celebrate cultural, religious and ethnic experiences’ PSED
Each child in your care needs to feel special and cared for in order for them to learn and develop. Some children may enjoy a close relationship with you and want physical contact in the form of cuddles, whilst others may prefer verbal recognition and assurance. It is important that you establish the child’s preference and be aware of changes as the child grows older and develops. Encourage the children to bring in items from home that are of significance to them, maybe religious or cultural items. Celebrate special occasions, birthdays of the children and religious festivals. Using the Travelling Teddies, is a great way of showing the children that you are interested in them and their life outside of your care.
‘Ensure children have opportunities to join in. Help them to recognise and understand
the rules for being together with others, such as waiting for a turn’ PSED
If Children
are involved in developing the house rules they are more likely to follow them. Regularly
review the rules with the children and discuss how they think they are working. For
younger children consider using pictures instead of words. (Download page)
There are some great books that you can share with children to help them understand about playing nicely together, sharing and taking turns. Use incidents of unwanted behaviour to discuss with the children how they feel about being left out etc
Play games together as a group and encourage the older children to support the younger ones to learn to share etc
An effective encouragement can be Certificates/stickers for playing together nicely and sharing (Download page)
‘Encourage children to share their feelings and talk about why they respond to experiences in particular ways’ PSED
Young children don’t understand why they experience different feelings and often don’t have the language skills/vocabulary to express them. Your role as a Childminder is to help the children to acknowledge these feelings as being normal, provide them with the language to explain how they feel and to give them ideas on how to express their emotions rather than getting angry etc.
This can be done by sharing books about different feelings, discuss with the children why you, the Childminder are sad, happy etc,
Use emotion flash cards which show pictures of different faces showing different emotions. Alternatively why not make your own with the children, using a camera, get the children to make faces for different feelings and print them out and laminate. The children will be much more interested in the activity if it includes themselves and their friends.
Make happy/sad face puppets using socks or paper plates as a craft activity and then encourage the children to use these when they are too upset to be able to put things into words.
‘Prepare children for changes that may occur in their routine’ PSED
Many adults are reluctant to embrace change, for children it can be very frightening.
It is really important that Childminders are aware of the changes facing children
and working in partnership with parents to support the child to deal with the changes
to their routine. These may include starting pre-
It is important to discuss the changes with the children and help them to find the positive outcomes of it. For example starting school will enable them to meet lots of new children and make new friends. Take their worries seriously and show empathy. Provide them with opportunities to discuss their fears with children who have already experienced the change to routine.
When children are leaving your setting make sure that all the children are given the opportunity to say goodbye. Maybe arrange a goodbye tea and encourage the children to help prepare it and make cards/presents. For some children who have been with you for a long time it will feel like losing a very close friend or ‘brother/sister’ and they will need additional support to cope with them leaving you. Making scrap books with photographs will help them to remember and show that you too miss the children when they leave.
ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS: THE EMOTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
