To subscribe to ExchangeEveryDay, a free daily e-newsletter, go to www.ccie.com/eed

09/08/2022

Quit Tattling on Children

Play is the foundation of learning, creativity, self-expression, and constructive problem-solving. It’s how children wrestle with life to make it meaningful.
Susan Linn, American psychiatrist

"When children come to us with stories of others’ wrongdoings, with the hope that we will punish the offender or praise the reporter, we call it ‘tattling.’ …Yet, when early childhood educators do the same at the end of the day, we try to call it 'partnership,'" writes Heather Bernt-Santy, also known as That Early Childhood Nerd. Now available in the Exchange Reflections discussion guide, "Quit Tattling on Children," Bernt-Santy’s article of the same name invites readers to consider the possible impacts of sharing negative behavior reports with families, including:


Bernt-Santy then invites readers to reflect on more supportive ways to communicate with families about their children’s behavior and development. Among other considerations, she asks, "are we able to share not just the behavior we see, but the ways we are already working to help support and understand what we see happening when they are with us? …Are we using these conversations as an opportunity to advocate for the child and to educate families about appropriate expectations and responses?"


For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.



© 2005 Child Care Information Exchange - All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Return to Site