Any Ideas

[Guest]

Any ideas on this ;

when it is appropriate to give responsibility to children,why this is important,and how family/cultural expectations of this may vary and should be handled with care.

Thanks cathy

[Susan]

Sorry Cathy, may not be at all relevant, but I have always found that children thrive on responsibility. The trick is for the responsibility to be something that is well within the child's attainment and therefore even very little children can be responsible.

[Rea]

I read once about how children's lives in this country have changed over the last century. It said about how little children, who had to help with the family income were given the responsibility of selling newspapers on street corners, sweeping chimneys, working in the mills and how now, children, who are quite rightly protected from this, have had all responsibilty stripped from them partly because they were treated badly but now because we dont think they are capable. The lives of those children were blighted but they also had a sense of worth in a lot of cases, knowing they were contributing. These days with busy lives, our children are prevented from doing household tasks to help because 'it's quicker if I do it myself', while children in other cultures are expected to be involved in house hold chores and in looking after younger siblings.

If this is garbled blame my 2 children who have decided to be off school ill.

[Sue R]

Au contraire, Susan!

 

It's absolutely relevant!! I think the real sticking point for cathy may be that bit on the end about family/cultural expectations?

 

Here you need to show that you are aware that people's expectations of children and responsibility will vary, some times by culture, sometimes by upbringing and sometimes by reasoning, and that you are sensitive to these different factors.

 

EG - when my children were small, I expected them to help tidy their toys away, and to do 'their bit', get out knives and forks etc, but a good friend of mine (heaven knows how, we had some very different approaches! ) didn't think children should be expected to do anything like that! Equally, my husband and I actively encouraged our children to explore, take risks (within reason!) and challenge themselves, where some of our friends were quite horrified with us.

 

See what I mean? Hope it's helpful

 

Sue

[Sue R]

Not garbled at all, Rea, I think we're saying similar things!

 

Sue

[Rea]

Exactly the kind of things my children were involved in Sue...what a pity that the years change them! Kevin and Perry now reserve their help to mothers day and birthdays.

Sorry cathy for highjcking this. Hope you find some of the stuff helpful.

[Beau]

Within playgroup I try to give the children more responsibility than their parents would at home - many children expect to have everything done for them. It is always quite interesting to have the duty mums in and see them 'in action'! One mum jumped in when I handed her son the jug of milk saying ' He can't manage to pour his own drink' only to find that he could as he had been doing this in playgroup for some time.

[Guest]

Thanks for all your help,it all makes perfect sense now.

Have finished all my observations now so it is all down to me to finish all the units.Still got until july at college ,so hopefully can get it all done.have you any idea what i can do a self reflective on pc8 c5.3WHICH READS SELF-RELIANCE AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR EXPECTED FROM THE CHILDREN ARE APPROPRIATE TO THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL AND DO NOT REINFORCE STEREOTYPICAL ASSUMPTIONS.

[Beau]

I can't remember what sort of setting you are working in Cathy, but I think I wrote about snack time (we have snack helpers, the children pour their own drinks and butter their own toast etc and then clear away when they have finished). All children participate, although it's entirely possible that in some households some boys may not be expected to do 'housework'.

[Guest]

Taking responsibility could also mean looking after themselves more, such as finding and putting on their own coats. At home time we send small groups of about 4 children with an adult to get their coats and put them on. Many don't even just saying that they don't know which their coat is and they can't put it on! Gentle encouragement usually solves this one! This would come into self reliance too.

Linda

[Guest]

Taking responsibility could also mean looking after themselves more, such as finding and putting on their own coats. At home time we send small groups of about 4 children with an adult to get their coats and put them on. Many don't just saying that they don't know which their coat is and they can't put it on! Gentle encouragement usually solves this one! This would come into self reliance too.

Linda

[Guest]

Cathy, what age/ range do you have to cover? or is it just a reflective account on children in your setting, derived from observations on PSE: Self reliance and Behaviour?

 

Maybe, if you have to cover age range 0-8, you could draw up a chart, with the headings, showing examples of;

 

age range: 3- 4 yrs

self -reliance: cut and prepare own vegetables for snacks

possible stereotypical assumption: He won't be able to do this because he's left handed. (ability assumption)

 

age range: 4 - 5yrs

self -reliance: cut and prepare own vegetables for snacks

P.S.A. Girls will be more interested in this activity (gender assumption)

 

 

age range: 5 - 6yrs

social behaviour: cut and prepare own vegetables for snacks

P.S.A. Boys may be dangerous with knives and use them as play weapons (gender assumption)

 

These aren't really very good examples ( long day on paperwork) but I hope you get the drift.

 

or you could look at stepping stones at different levels instead of age range and do the same or similar

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Thanks everyone.I am in a day nursery in the room with 12 four olds.Might be back have to have all of c5 fininshed before college tomorrow still don't feel great my mind has gone to mush .

[Sue R]

Cathy,

 

I don't think you need to go into as much depth as Peggy has said at this point, although it sounds like a useful exercise!!

 

Sue