Firstly a massive thank you to all those who answered our online survey. We had a total of 104 responses from across Scotland.

This is a small sample in research terms but still provides interesting insight. We are trying to build up a picture of what childcare in Scotland looks like right now, a snapshot if you will before 1140 kicks in; how families are using the variety of options available to them, funded/private, outdoor or indoor,  for how long and why?

It has also revealed many genuine concerns from families about use of outdoor nursery settings. We can extol the virtues as much as we like but without addressing these valid viewpoints, more children will miss out on this great early years experience. We are still analysing the results, future blog material for sure!

The data can be found below.

Childcare Scotland Research 2018 (Responses) (1)

Continuing with our ‘Setting the Standards’ blog series today we look at how we manage the ‘fall out’ of conflict in our nursery settings.

2: I am fully involved in all decisions about my care and support.

2:8 Compassion: I am supported to communicate in a way that’s right for me, at my own pace, by people who are sensitive to me and my needs.

2:15 Be Included: I am enabled to resolve conflict, agree rules and build positive relationships with other people as much as I can.

Health & Social Care Standards June 2017

When children interact and play together conflict is inevitable. It is not something to be avoided or feared and can be a great learning opportunity for them. After all conflict is present in the adult world too! Developing the skills to manage those times in their early years, sets our children up for success.

In two of our nursery settings we have children from 2-5 years old (the other has 3-5year olds) and as you know the developmental stage of a 2 year old is physically and emotionally very different to that of a 5 year old. So our challenge is to develop an ethos and way of respectfully caring for children that is developmentally appropriate across the span of children we work with.

Each child (whatever their age) is considered an equal and valuable member of our nursery community (if you’ve read our previous blogs you’ll know we’ve talked about this before – if not, why not?! Only joking) so how do we manage conflict when this is the case?

Lets take an example of a ‘physical altercation’ scenario where a 2 year old has hit or pushed over a 3 year old. The 3 year old is crying. What do you do?

Obviously we comfort the upset child and make sure they are not physically hurt or in need of any immediate medical care. But what then? How do we make sure the 2 year old knows that this behaviour is not acceptable? How do we make them feel sorry? Should we make them say sorry?

2 year olds are generally not sorry.

I’m being a little tongue in cheek here, but the reality is that they live very much in the moment. There will have been a legitimate and very rudimentary reason as to why they chose that course of action be it frustration, to meet an end, to achieve their goal faster or just to see what the cause and effect would be (like dropping food off a high chair or poking something down a tube). Maybe they are just hungry and are yet to develop the skills to control their impulses and recognise the signs in their own body.

It is in essence a very normal and experimental thing to do, perfectly age and stage appropriate behaviour.

There is a line of thought that says socially educating children should be a kind of ‘fake it till you make it’ scenario – make them say sorry even though they don’t mean it, often with a measurable ‘consequence/punishment’ (time out/thinking time). At some point (the advice is never quite clear about when) children will learn that ‘negative actions’ have consequences they don’t want, and that you have to say sorry if you have hurt someone.

“But I said SORRY!”

Ever met the kid who expects to use “sorry” as a ‘get out of jail free card’? Or the one who punches their brother in the face, then puts themself in a timeout – thinking, ‘ it was worth it, I’ll keep my head down, do my time and be out in 7’ (minutes!)

Children are smart. Really smart. So how can we help them develop not only the nuts and bolts of how to behave with kindness and compassion but to genuinely understand why?

We develop empathy.

We have a multi pronged approach on this.

• We develop a culture of kindness and respect within our settings and we discuss the kinds of behaviours and interactions we want to experience as a group, suggested and agreed on by the children.
• We use circle time to discuss ‘gentle hands’ (not using your hands to hurt another child)  and ‘kind words’ – not to give them a hard time but to be clear about our expectations and why it’s important.
• We have utilised ‘The Bucket Story’ to discuss doing kind things for and to each other and how when we do unkind things to each other it ’empties our buckets’ – and the feelings that might be attached to that.
• We provide strategies to children including ‘make some space’ whereby if they are not comfortable or beginning to feel frustrated they can walk away, play somewhere else or just ‘put a bit if space between them and the thing/person at the source of their frustration’ – we are in a privileged position to do this with no walls and roofed only by the sky (all hail the outdoor nursery!)
• We model appropriate behaviour to children and to each other as a team.
• We also have clear and fair ‘rules’ in place about sharing as discussed here That’s MY stick!

So back to our scenario, what would we do?

We choose not to enforce an insincere apology.

It is never acceptable for a child to physically assault another, if this is still happening we would separate the children and calmly make it clear that ‘I will not let you hurt/hit child X’

Listening to both sides without judgement. Ask what happened and review both sides with the children “So child X came into your space while you were playing and didn’t move when you asked them to, Child Y you didn’t hear him ask so you didn’t move, child X you got annoyed he wasn’t listening to you so you hit him”

Be clear about separating the behaviour from the child – the action is not acceptable, the child is always accepted. We don’t use wording like wrong, bad, naughty etc We might use ‘I can understand you were frustrated, but it is not ok to hit them’.

If the child is non verbal or limited verbal they may not respond. That is ok, we give them the opportunity to be heard and still involve them in the resolution. If we have seen the situation occur we can often verbalize it for them.

For a young child we can model caring behaviour without judgement. We might say sorry ‘for the child’ – while comforting child X “I’m sorry child Y hit you, are you ok? What can I do to make you feel better?” Then give the other child the opportunity to join in with this or see it taking place.

If the child is older/developmentally more advanced we might involve them more actively in finding a solution, by sportscasting what happened, reviewing the situation without bias and then asking child Y “what might we be able to do to make child X feel better?”

We also support the ‘hit child’ to feel safe in our community (we will not allow them to be hurt in our care) but to not view the situation as ‘victim and perpetrator’ (as this is rarely helpful for either party) and give them strategies to take control of their own safety too “maybe we can give children a bit more space in future too” or “next time maybe check its ok to be that close”.

It’s not an exact science, childhood rarely is! But again it works for us, we do not see many incidents like the scenario described and the general feel in our settings is calm and supportive. We also avoid the trap of managing behaviour with shame or punishment, which would damage relationships and the children’s self esteem. All whilst keeping children of different ages and stages learning and playing together.

Ref: The Bucket Story – by Carol McCloud

Today we focus on another of the Health and Social Care Standards, in relation to the day to day ethos of life at Stramash Outdoor Nursery.

4. I have Confidence in the organisation providing my care and support

Wellbeing: 4.25 I am confident that people are encouraged to be innovative in the way they support and care for me.

“The most dangerous phrase in the language is ‘We’ve always done it this way’.”

Grace Hopper

Care of children is an evolving landscape. Our attitudes towards children as a society (and I speak from a western bias as cultural norms are somewhat unique) has changed a lot over the last 150 years. We are no longer sending children down mines or into mills, and have appropriate protection for children and childhood in the form of the Childcare Act 2006 and the UN Rights of The Child 1998 amongst others.

However, let it never be said that our evolution is over. That all children are now safe, protected, cared for, happy and learning at optimum levels. As research continues, enlightening us to new information and evidence and our own individual experience as parents and practitioners develops, so too should our approach.

It is ok to change your mind. It is ok to do something that your own parents didn’t. It is ok to say ‘Actually this works for us, so we are going to do that’ even if that is not currently the ‘mainstream thinking’ on a matter.

Our kids don’t have to share.

There, I’ve said it. It’s in big, bold, middle of the page type! No sand timers, clocks or beepers.

Just for a moment think about something you really value. Maybe it’s your car, or your home, your favourite book given to you as a small child, or even your spouse! You are happily going about your business, driving your car or reading your book and another adult approaches you. They want what you’ve got. They might start by asking nicely “but I said please!” or they might just push you and grab it off you.

You (quite understandably) get very upset. You might cry or fight back to protect what’s yours.

At this point another adult intervenes. They seem to understand and they attempt to calm the situation down, they are loving and comforting and you feel better for a moment. However now they are saying that you have to ‘share’. So because someone else wants what you have, you are obliged to let them have it. You don’t get a choice, that’s ‘what’s fair’.

Is it?

Do we have to share things as adults if we don’t want to? How would we feel about the person we were forced to share with if that were the case?

When we were growing up my sister and I used to drive my mother insane. We were always ‘borrowing’ each others things (not always with the consent of the other – ok rarely with the consent of the other) on discovery of such treachery all hell would break loose and my mother would be made judge and jury to preside over the trial. Her argument was always “You would give your sister a kidney if she needed it, why are you getting so upset about a t-shirt?”

She was right of course, but that didn’t make us any more likely to share in the future. This constant battle also drove a wedge between us that took a fair amount of time to grow out of (don’t worry, we’re good pals now – and besides I don’t fit in her clothes anymore!)

Our understanding of children both from a social and Neuro scientific understanding is improving all the time. We are beginning to understand that forcing or shaming them into compliance with arbitrary rules (that will not apply as they reach adulthood) maybe isn’t the solid foundation we are trying to create.

Building Empathy

You can’t teach empathy. Another bold statement I know, but go with me for a minute. Empathy (being able to see things from another’s perspective and have that adjust your approach or behaviour) is a learned skill. We have to experience it, have the opportunity to practice it and observe it in others.

Sportscasting

One of the techniques we’ve found really helpful when dealing with sharing conflicts with children is sportscasting – describing the actions, feelings and emotions we can see projected from both parties during a disagreement.

E.g. Child A is playing with a watering can, child B wants watering can, child A refuses to give it to them

To child A “You are busy playing with the watering can and child B has tried to take it from you. This has made you upset”

To child B “You really want the watering can and child A has it. This is making you frustrated. You don’t want to wait until he’s finished”

At this point we have a choice – and it will depend on the age, stage of development and how experienced your child/ren are at independently problem solving – for example if they have been forced to share for some time they may have developed some pretty strong resource guarding instincts.

We might ask the children if they can come up with a solution which makes everyone happy, whilst reiterating gently that ‘child A is using that just now, I’m sure you can use it when they’ve finished, could we find you another one/something else to complete the task’?

Or we might take a more direct approach

To child A “I see that you are still busy with the watering can and are not ready to give it to child B yet. Do you think child B could use it when you are finished?”

To child B “It can feel like a long time when we’re waiting for something, shall we go and do something else while we’re waiting?”

This approach allows both children to hear how the other is experiencing the situation. It might not change their own feelings on it in that moment, but they are getting to experience ‘empathy in action’. This learning opportunity would be completely missed if one was to set a timer or enforce turn taking, they would also learn to look to someone else (an adult) to resolve conflict.

In our experience It also removes the heightened emotion from the situation. A child immersed in play is respected and does not need to fear losing the resource, the anxiety is not building as they watch the sand fall through the timer, this allows them to relax and play through the cycle – often abandoning a resource faster and moving on to something else than they would have previously. This in turn (along with a sufficient number of resources and play spaces) reduces these sorts of incidents in general.

As the philosophy becomes more ingrained children are more able to resolve their own conflicts at a superior emotional level – confidently but respectfully. It becomes habit to find something else to do or just calmly sit and wait for your turn on the swing. We have also seen older children more readily share, offer an alternative or take a shorter turn because they understand being ‘the waiter’.

As you start the process you may get children who become stuck in their own emotions of the situation, this is perfectly normal (they REALLY want the watering can!) We just gently remind them that we totally understand how they feel, we are not going to take it away from child A, and we are here if they want some help finding a substitute or company while they’re waiting.

We began implementing our ‘no forced sharing’ policy about 9 months ago and can honestly say we would never go back. So here’s to more innovative and organically developing practice.

And if you’re thinking “You cannot compare a watering can in the hands of a toddler to my car!” then check out this great video below.

Why do we become so attached to our things

“The Standards are underpinned by five principles: dignity and respect, compassion, be included, responsive care, and support and wellbeing”

The new Health & Social Care standards are designed to complement, not replace the ‘old standards’ which were previously called National Care Standards and laid out what someone could expect when accessing care, health and social services; to add further depth and detail. These ethos driven and holistic Standards offer a more comprehensive review, when combined or overlaid with the existing legislation and best practice of those working in the Health and Social Care fields.

So why are we excited? These are some of the most progressive and human centric standards anywhere in the world, focused on the individual in receipt of the service. But mostly we are excited because we recognise our setting in those standards, they are speaking our language! The things we do and the choices we make every day, as a result of our vision and shared values are reflected in this new document. That, is pretty exciting!

Over the next few blogs we’re going to look at the Standards and select a few things (relevant to our setting) and discuss how we aim to deliver them, in real terms, day to day in Nursery.

Standard 1: I experience high quality care and support that is right for me.

1:6 Compassion: I get the most out of life because the people and organisation who support and care for me have an enabling attitude and believe in my potential.

Well of course! I hear you cry. Everyone believes in the potential of children! However, our actions (however well intentioned or as a result of time or other pressures) sometimes undermine this belief.

How does that look in our setting? You’d expect it to be all about tree climbing or some other ‘risky play’ thing right? Well it might look for example, like spending 10 minutes coaching a wee one on how to open their cereal bar themselves (over the 10 seconds it takes to take it away and do it yourself!) Such a simple thing, but we believe in remaining mindful of the messages we send the children through our everyday actions.

So yes, we are their number one cheerleaders when they are climbing a tree or counting to 100, we truly believe in the environment (outdoors) being able to enrich our practice and support us in supporting the children to achieve their potential; it is the vehicle not the driver of what we do. Often those ‘wow moments’ are interspersed with the more ‘ordinary’ moments; the eating and the toiletting and such like. But there is no such thing as Ordinary in a Stramash nursery!

These moments are not just an opportunity to support our learners to develop key skills for life (like getting into packets, putting a jacket on or wiping their own bums!) They also provide us as their carers the chance to show the children that we truly do believe in their ability, we know they can do it, we are there to support, encourage and guide but ultimately ‘they got this!’ Whatever ‘this’ is, consistently.

It’s the same reason we don’t have ‘rooms’ or separate the children based on age. Yes of course at different times and stages each child will require different support, equipment or resources to challenge or extend their learning and development  and unique support to achieve their potential, it is our sincere pleasure to do that. However a child of 2 is an equal member of our nursery community, with the same intrinsic value, rights and respect as anyone else.

Our team want the children in our care to be their best selves, to develop independence, resilience and self esteem. It takes time, it cannot be rushed, there isn’t a shortcut. It is not always glamorous or the stuff you’ll find pictures of on Pinterest! What matters is that children feel empowered, capable and supported.

Rolling Snack
The key components of our ‘snack ethos’ is that we ‘open snack’ when the first child comes to us to say they’re hungry and close it when the children are done/tidy up time (whichever comes first).

Throughout this time practitioners will gently remind children that ‘snack is open’ and they can self assess if they are hungry. If they are, they collect their things and head to the tipi or snack area, if not they carry on playing.

The only time we would ‘steer’ a child towards snack is if we see ‘behaviour as communication’ – we know our children well and observe closely and can generally predict if a child needs to eat. However we have seen far fewer instances of this too since our new system.

This gives us smaller groups at snack so we are able to spend more 121 time chatting and (more importantly listening) to children about all manner of things; building a sense of community and a positive relationship with eating and food.

It also affords us the time to spend coaching them in the techniques to open their packaging/put their things away, do zips, work water bottles etc. Rather than doing it for them out of efficiency needs. Therefore we have 2,3 and 4 year olds who can confidently peel an orange or open a foil bag.

We have seen a marked improvement in independence and confidence, as well as children supporting each other and ‘showing off their new yoghurt opening skills’ for their friends! Along with this it feels like a much more natural fit with our ethos of bodily autonomy, encouraging children to problem solve and develop the skills they need for life.

Children can also choose what they eat, how much and in what order… I know right?

Don’t tell me, this couldn’t happen in your house/setting because children would ONLY eat the exciting stuff and then leave all the healthy stuff! I mean we only eat salads as adults, if we are promised a biscuit after, no?

Well no, that’s not our experience. Sure it takes the support of our families, who make sure kids have a box full of healthy food, so whatever they choose doesn’t need ‘labelling’ as good or bad or used as a reward for doing something they don’t want to – because really, those words and emotions have no place being around food and our relationship to it anyway.

So if a child wants to eat their sandwiches at 10:20 thats fine, they soon understand that once they’re gone they aren’t coming back! If they are hungry, they eat. Some children will not come to morning snack, but will sit for almost an hour eating in afternoon snack. That’s ok. They are listening to their bodies, they are fuelling their bodies and brains and recognising the effects that food has on their energy, emotions and sense of wellbeing. They are taking control of their own learning.

So no arguments, bribery, tears or tantrums, while all the time we are communicating to our children that we respect them and we trust them, to know their own bodies and minds.

Our very first blog on our brand new website, what an exciting time!

Today’s blog is an introduction to the kind of thing you can expect to see here; a bit of a ‘behind the scenes look at what goes on, and most importantly why we do things the way we do.

As you’ve found our website, you probably know that we are a Social Enterprise in Scotland. Our aim is to reconnect children and families with nature and the outdoors via our Outdoor Nurseries, Schools Programmes, Holiday Club, Apprenticeships, and Training for practitioners. Meeting developmental and learning outcomes whilst nurturing creativity and increased wellbeing.

I love a mission statement, but if you’re like me you’ll want to know how we’re doing that; In practice, everyday.

A fairly recent and very welcome addition to our setting is Helicopter Stories.

Stramash Outdoor Nursery and St. Sylvesters Primary School created a partnership in November 2017 to explore an early literacy project, in the outdoors, using the ‘Helicopter Stories’ approach. We decided to use this approach as it was recognised that a number of children in St. Sylvesters P1 class had English and an additional language and that the technique could be used indoors and out as well as a tool to bridge the transition from pre-school to P1.

Helicopter Stories is tried, tested and proven to have significant impact on children’s literacy and communications skills, their confidence and social and emotional development. In simple terms it is an inclusive approach to storytelling, story scribing and story acting. (Lee, T. Helicopter Stories, 2016) (https://stramash.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/318d6-helicoptertechniqueevaluation.pdf)

Every child has their own book in which a practitioner or teacher scribes a story for them, exactly as told to them by the child. As part of the routine of the nursery a practitioner is available to scribe stories during the session, they are then acted out by the whole group during reflection at the conclusion of the session. We have been able to track developing vocabulary as well as stories that are created in response to place (in this case the woodland environment) and play. Children’s confidence is growing and the quietest of pupils are able to have their voice heard and story told. Some P1 pupils have started to write their own stories.

Improving early literacy and the development of vocabulary is seen as one of the key drivers of raising attainment – children from low income households are more likely to have below average vocabulary as well as below average problem solving skills by aged 5. (http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0048/00486755.pdf). We feel that adopting Helicopter Stories as an approach could have many benefits including improving literacy and joining up learning between early learning centres, primary schools and homes.

Within our Elgin nursery setting, children now choose to have their helicopter stories scribed every day. Whilst the benefits to children have been evidential (increased confidence, word recognition and other early literacy indicators) we have also been given some true insight into the hearts and minds of our children.

Sure we get a lot of walk on parts for Iron Man, but we have also seen recent learning or experiences written into the children’s stories. As they continue to write, so too do they develop the characters emotions, what they see and do. Giving us valuable insight into the lives, thoughts and feelings of our children.

With this information we are able to care for, support and develop our children better, and in a more bespoke way. When you are committed to a wholly child led practice it can sometimes be a challenge to measure the amount of info retained or the learning taking place.

Children have built a stage for their performances and whilst previously some were ‘reluctant circle timers’, now the enthusiasm to tidy up and get together is a profound change.

If you think helicopter stories could be a benefit to your school or setting we are hosting a training at our Elgin site with Trisha Lee!

Details can be found here: Training Calendar

For more information about Trisha Lee