child guidance

Child guidance is the practice of teaching children how to treat others, themselves, and their property with the respect and care that will help them thrive in the world. The goals of First Circle’s child guidance policy are for children to develop positive self-esteem, and socially acceptable ways of expressing their needs and feelings. We concentrate on prevention and skill-building rather than discipline, and our policy is designed to encourage the children to practice self-control, develop decision-making skills, and take responsibility for their own actions. We teach children common courtesy and respect for themselves, others and for property.

In conjunction with our MyCharacter program, our child guidance philosophy teaches children how to self-manage, and is designed to help children:

Develop self-confidence, independence, and self-control.
Learn to balance personal needs with those of others.
Cultivate respect for themselves, others, and property.
Practice kindness, communication, and non-violent conflict resolution.
Make thoughtful, caring decisions and solve problems effectively.

We value each child’s individuality and partner with families to support their development. Our guidance practices are informed by expertise, research, best practices, and regulatory recommendations while respecting each family’s values and cultural context.

Our child guidance policy seeks to:

Model appropriate behavior
Encourage self-control through redirection and reinforcement
Set clear, consistent, and positive expectations
Intervene immediately in cases of physical aggression
Teach positive conflict resolution strategies
Promote consistency through staff discussions on behavior management

SETTING THE STAGE

Effective child guidance starts in infancy, as babies learn that the world is safe and their needs are met by caring people. As children grow, nurturing, consistent relationships and enriching environments are essential for their intellectual, emotional, and physical development. Early relationships with educators lay the foundation for future learning and well-being, shaping school readiness and overall growth.

METHODOLOGY

First Circle educators respond to challenging behavior according to the individual child and situation. Child guidance methods applied always provide children with support, and are intended to teach them to build self-control. Although no single methodology or technique will work with every child every time, the four key components for our child guidance policy include:

PLANNING

Understanding each child’s background, temperament, and responses to different situations (via the All About Me form).
Designing the environment with clear expectations, appropriate materials, and engaging spaces to foster independence.
Structuring a daily schedule that minimizes boredom, waiting, and rushed transitions.
Establishing routines that allow children to relax and enjoy activities at their own pace.

PREPARING

Setting clear, age-appropriate, and consistent expectations.
Involving children in rule-making when appropriate.
Reinforcing and modeling positive behavior.
Providing ample transition warnings.

RESPONDING

Redirecting children toward positive activities and acceptable alternatives.
Guiding problem-solving by reinforcing rules and encouraging peaceful expression of feelings.
Teaching natural consequences and coping strategies like taking a break.
Recognizing when to intervene or ignore minor misbehavior.
Helping children develop conflict resolution skills with support as needed.

COMMUNICATING

Working in close partnership with parents to address children’s difficulties at home and at the program, developing shared understanding to develop consistency between home and child care;
Observing and documenting children’s behavior;
Meeting with parents, keeping them informed of their children’s behaviors, and documenting parent discussions;

CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR

Very young children use behavior to communicate their needs and feelings, establish important connections with the people around them, and learn about the world and how the world responds to them. Developmentally, young children will often use aggression, defiance and other behaviors as they work to build skills in the domains of flexibility, frustration tolerance, and problem-solving, and as they learn appropriate language and social skills.

Challenging behavior is any behavior that interferes with children’s learning, development, and success at play, is harmful to the child, other children, or adults, or puts the child at risk for later social and communication problems. Common types of challenging behavior include:

self-injurious behavior (such as hitting, biting)
aggressive behavior (such as hitting others, screaming, spitting, kicking)
defiance (such as non-compliance)
destructive behavior directed at property (such as throwing objects or purposefully destroying things)
or emotional outbursts (such as tantrums)

Challenging behavior is a natural part of child development as they learn to communicate, interact, and manage emotions. Often, it reflects a child’s need for control in an overwhelming world, but their ability to self-regulate is still developing. For most challenging behavior, it’s not that a child “won’t” behave differently, but that they “can’t” yet. Educators must respond with skill and patience, balancing immediate safety with guiding children toward self-regulation and positive social interactions.

RESPONDING TO CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS

We believe children learn best when they feel safe, supported, and connected. Our educators use positive guidance strategies like redirection, modeling, problem-solving, visual cues, and calming techniques to help children navigate big feelings and learn appropriate behaviors.

Sometimes, a child may need gentle physical support to help keep themselves or others safe. When verbal and visual guidance are not enough, educators may use calm, supportive physical redirection such as holding a child’s hand, using a gentle guiding touch, offering hand-over-hand assistance, or helping a child move to a safer space. Physical redirection is always used with care, reassurance, and respect—never as punishment, intimidation, or control.

Our staff are trained to use the least intrusive approach possible and to respond in ways that are developmentally appropriate for each child. Any significant incidents are documented and shared with families when appropriate.

Physical punishment, handling children in anger, or any unsafe or inappropriate restraint practices are strictly prohibited.

FAMILY EXPECTATIONS + RESPONSIBILITIES

Communicate proactively about behavioral or developmental concerns.
Participate in meetings and planning with openness and partnership.
Pick up your child promptly if a safety-related incident occurs.
Treat staff with respect and collaborate constructively.

If the actions suggested above under “Responding” do not succeed, the educator may:

Separate the child from the environment or activity, but have the child remain within the educator’s immediate and direct supervision until the child is able to regain self-control and rejoin the group.
Remove the child from the environment or activity if the behavior is potentially dangerous to the child or others.
Use physical intervention in a calm, nurturing manner that is responsive to the specific situation, the child’s developing abilities, and their capacity to understand. Interventions include taking a child by the hand, picking a child up, or placing a child in one’s lap.
Partner with educators and administration to support consistent expectations and collaborate on individualized behavior support plans when needed.
Work with the program when outside evaluations, assessments, or additional support services are recommended to help your child thrive in the classroom.
Participate in meetings, planning conversations, and follow-up support with openness, communication, and a team approach focused on your child’s success.

STAGES OF SUPPORT/INTERVENTION

We know that big feelings and tough moments are a natural part of early childhood. Sometimes, even with thoughtful support from our educators, a child may continue to struggle with behaviors that make it hard for them—and the other children around them—to fully engage and thrive in the classroom. When a child is showing repeated or intense behaviors that:

endanger themselves (e.g., self-hitting, head-banging),
harm others (e.g., hitting, biting, aggressive outbursts),
consistently disrupts the learning environment,

then we implement a clear, collaborative process to support the child and classroom community.

STEP 1: Observation and Documentation
In the first week, teachers begin closely observing your child’s behavior and document what’s happening before, during, and after each incident. They’ll also start informal conversations with you to better understand what your child may be experiencing and begin building a shared plan of support.

Step 2: Team Strategy Meeting
Next, our team—including teachers, administrators, and our Education Coordinator—meets to look at the patterns and come up with a support plan tailored to your child. We’ll connect with you by phone or video to review strategies and make sure we’re staying consistent between home and school. This plan may include calming spaces, social-emotional activities, changes to your child’s schedule, or temporarily removing them from the group if needed for safety.

Step 3: Family Collaboration and Plan Implementation
We begin using the Behavior Support Plan in the classroom and continue documenting progress. If something’s working well—or not—we’ll make adjustments and keep you updated.

Step 4: Formal Meeting
If the behavior is still a concern after three weeks, we’ll schedule a formal meeting with you. Together, we’ll review what’s been tried, talk about how things are going at home, and decide whether an outside evaluation (like through your pediatrician or public school) is needed. If so, we ask that it’s scheduled within two weeks. We may also talk about other options, like adjusting your child’s schedule.

Step 5: Results Meeting
Once any outside evaluations are complete, we’ll meet again to review the findings and adjust the plan if needed. We may also start using recommendations from any specialists involved.

Step 6: Ongoing Monitoring with Outside Support
At this stage, we’re working alongside any outside professionals to continue supporting your child in the classroom. We’ll keep documenting progress and communicating regularly with you about how things are going.

UNSAFE/DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR

When behavior poses a safety risk
If a child’s behavior becomes dangerous or disruptive to others and cannot be safely managed in the moment, we may ask for the child to be picked up early or suggest a temporary reduction in their schedule. These decisions are made with care and are always discussed with you in advance.
When one-on-one support is needed
Sometimes, group-based strategies aren’t enough to help a child stay safe and successful in the classroom. In these cases, one-on-one support may be required—especially if a child’s behavior continues to pose risks or their IEP or support plan calls for it.
What to expect with one-on-one support
If one-on-one support is needed, families are responsible for arranging and covering the cost. The support person must be approved by First Circle and meet certain requirements, including background checks and relevant qualifications. They must also follow our program rules and support the classroom without directing staff or disrupting routines.

TERMINATION OF ENROLLMENT CONSIDERATION (as a last resort)

If, after we’ve worked through all the steps together—and tried multiple strategies, supports, and outside resources—your child’s behavior is still making it hard for them, their peers, or our team to safely and successfully participate in the classroom, we’ll reach out to have an honest conversation. That discussion will focus on whether another program might be better equipped to support your child’s unique needs.

This is never a decision we make lightly. It would only happen after we’ve done everything we can in partnership with you, and always with your child’s success and well-being at the center.

No matter what the behavior exhibited, we will treat the child and their family with the same respect, support, and care that we do any other child or family.

LABELS ARE EXTREMELY POWERFUL, SO WE DON’T USE THEM. We are careful to talk about the behavior, not the child. Employing language carefully makes a big difference in the way we see children and think about who they are and what they can and cannot do. Negative labels can all too easily become self-fulfilling prophecies. They prevent us from seeing children’s positive qualities and may even cause us to lower our expectations of them. A child you’ve thought of as stubborn could just as easily be tenacious or persistent, important characteristics for success in school.

When you can see a child in a positive light, it helps them to see themselves that way, and to act more positively, too.

INCIDENT REPORTS

For incidents that involve harm, significant disruption, or safety concerns, families will receive a written Incident Report.
Parents are asked to sign the report and may request a copy.

PROHIBITED PRACTICES

First Circle is in keeping with the Department of Early Education and Care in the belief that behavioral control is neither logical nor appropriate for children. We strictly prohibit any of the following practices:

Any form of physical punishment or abusive treatment, including hitting, spanking, slapping, grabbing, shaking, threats, humiliation, derogatory remarks, or handling a child in anger or frustration;
Depriving children of outdoor time, meals or snacks; force feeding children or otherwise making them eat against their will, or in any way using food as a consequence;
Disciplining a child for soiling, wetting, or not using the toilet; forcing a child to remain in soiled clothing or to remain on the toilet, or using any other unusual or excessive practices for toileting;
Using cribs, swings, high chairs, playpens, furniture, or other equipment to confine, isolate, or restrain a child in place of active supervision;
Excessive time-out. We use logical consequences instead of time-out to manage behavior at First Circle.
Pulling, dragging, or lifting a child by their arms or legs, or using physical force to control a child’s movements except when necessary to maintain immediate safety;
Physical restraint for discipline, punishment, or convenience. Physical restraint may only be used when absolutely necessary to protect the immediate safety of the child or others.

When you can see a child in a positive light, it helps her to see herself that way, and to act more positively, too.