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Health & Fitness

How Unique is Individuality?

Cookie cutter mentality need not apply. How the uniqueness and individuality of a child should be taken into account when disciplining and motivating in order to achieve optimal results.

Unique, having no like or equal.  Individual, distinguished from the group.  Quite often these words are thrown around as a punch line.  What we forget is that these words need to be coupled with the concept of respect.  When dealing with people, children in particular, (as they are building their core values on a regular basis, based on experiential learning) it is important to take note of all of our exchanges and interactions with them. You know you have mastered this when it becomes all about the child and not about you or your ego.

Children come to us many times, carrying much baggage.  We as adults have difficulty handling these situations but yet expect children to face the day with a smile and no signs of being bothered by the fact that maybe mommy or daddy were in a rush to get to work so breakfast was fed to them in the car.  Maybe they overheard an argument between mommy and daddy because there wasn’t enough money to pay the bills this month.  They may not grasp the concept of money but they do indeed sense the tone of the conversation.  It is that tone that can lead to fear, instability and insecurity.

It is a good idea to start off every morning by simply engaging in genuine conversation with parents in order to glean if there are issues that will surface or whether there is something you should know that might play a role in the interactions with or the behavior of the child during the day. This in conjunction with a keen understanding of unique personalities and individuality will then play a role in your handling of the discipline as well as the motivation of the child.

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It has taken years for the medical field to recognize that medication now should be tailored not only to men vs. women but also tailored to different ethnic groups. This can be regarded as finally recognizing uniqueness and individuality (no longer the cookie-cutter approach).  We as educators and caregivers need to do the same. We need to take into account the whole child as well as circumstances surrounding their actions or lack thereof.  It is our response and handling of these situations that will have a profound effect on the individual.  Not every child responds well to the” tough love” approach nor does every child respond accordingly to the “wait and see” approach. We make the choice of setting the fire and watching it burn out quickly or setting the fire and stoking the flame to make it last. It is up to us to put our egos aside and work with the child and family to achieve the optimal result.  Think back to when you were in school.  Who was your favorite teacher? I would venture to guess that you answer has nothing to do with the subject matter that was taught but more so the way it was delivered and how he or she got through to you.

 

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Our mission at Once Upon A Time Preschool/Daycare is to have a profound effect on every child that works through our doors.  We accomplish this by respecting the uniqueness and individuality of every child we come in contact with.  Our classrooms may look like any other with similar materials offered but it is the person to person contact and relationship building that sets us apart. 

Visit us tonight at our Open House from 4-7PM to experience it firsthand.  We look forward to seeing you there.

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