Author: adminprow

Children quickly learn how to behave when they get positive, consistent guidance from you. This means giving praise and attention when you notice your child behaving well and using consequences when you need to guide them towards more positive behaviour.

Here are practical tips for putting this positive approach into action.

Tips to encourage positive behaviour

1. Give your child positive attention and spend quality time together

Your relationship is key to guiding your child towards positive behaviour. You can build a close and loving relationship by spending time with your child playing, reading or chatting. Giving your child positive attention like hugs, smiles and encouragement is also important.

2. Be a role model

Use your own behaviour to guide your child. Your child watches you to get clues on how to behave – and what you do is often much more important than what you say. For example, if you want your child to say ‘please’, say it yourself. If you don’t want your child to raise their voice, speak quietly and calmly yourself.

3. Tell your child how you feel

Telling your child honestly how their behaviour affects you helps your child to see their own feelings in yours. And if you start sentences with ‘I’, it gives your child the chance to see things from your perspective. It’s best to talk about feelings when you’re both calm.

Helping your child understand their own and other people’s emotions is important to helping them cope with strong emotions like frustration that sometimes lead to behaviour like tantrums.

4. Catch your child being ‘good’

When your child is behaving well, give your child positive feedback or praise. For example, ‘Wow, you’re playing so nicely. I really like the way you’re keeping all the blocks on the table’. Praise makes positive behaviour more likely and challenging behaviour less likely. Try to focus more on positive behaviour than challenging behaviour.

5. Get down to your child’s level

When you get close to your child, you can tune in to what they’re feeling or thinking. Being close helps your child focus on what you’re saying about their behaviour. It also makes it easier for your child to follow your instructions.

6. Listen actively

To listen actively, you can nod as your child talks, and repeat back what you think your child is feeling. For example, ‘It sounds like you felt really sad when Amit wouldn’t let you join his game’. This helps your child feel heard, respected and comforted.

7. Keep promises

When you follow through on your promises, your child learns to trust and respect you. Your child learns that you won’t let them down when you’ve promised something nice, and your child also learns not to try to change your mind when you’ve explained a consequence. So when you promise to go for a walk after your child picks up their toys, make sure you have your walking shoes handy. If you tell your 3-year-old that they’ll have quiet time if they don’t stop throwing dirt, be prepared to follow through.

8. Create an environment for positive behaviour

The environment around your child can influence their behaviour, so you can shape the environment to help your child behave well. This can be as simple as making sure your child’s space has plenty of safe, stimulating things to play with. Also make sure that your child can’t reach things they could break or that might hurt them.

9. Decide what’s important

Before you get involved in anything your child is doing – especially to say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ – ask yourself if it really matters. By ignoring behaviours that aren’t important and keeping instructions, requests and negative feedback to a minimum, you create fewer opportunities for conflict and bad feelings. You can use family rules to let everyone know what’s important in your family.

10. Keep instructions simple and positive

Instructions should be clear, short and appropriate for your child’s age, so your child can understand and remember them. And positive rules are usually better than negative ones, because they guide your child’s behaviour in a positive way. For example, ‘Please shut the gate’ is better than ‘Don’t leave the gate open’. If you need to tell your child to stop doing something, always tell them what to do instead – for example, ‘Stop jumping on the bed, and please sit on the bed’.

11. Give children responsibility – and consequences

As your child gets older, you can give your child more responsibility for their own behaviour. You can also give your child the chance to experience the natural consequences of that behaviour. For example, if it’s your child’s responsibility to pack for a sleepover and your child forgets their favourite pillow, the natural consequence is that your child will have to manage without the pillow for the night.

At other times you might need to provide consequences for inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour. For these times, make sure that you’ve explained the consequences and your child has agreed to them in advance.

12. Give your child the chance to succeed

Set up your child to behave well, and then praise them for it. For example, give your child some simple chores or things that they can do to help the family. Praising your child’s behaviour and effort will encourage your child to continue. And giving your child a lot of practice doing a chore helps them get better at it, feel good about doing it, and want to keep doing it.

13. Prepare for challenging situations

There are times when meeting your child’s needs and doing things you need to do will be tricky – for example, when you’re shopping, in the car or at an appointment. If you think about these challenging situations in advance, you can plan around your child’s needs. Give your child a 5-minute warning before you need them to change activities. Talk to your child about why you need their cooperation. Then your child is prepared for what you expect.

14. Keep your sense of humour

It often helps to keep daily life with children light. You can do this by using songs, humour and fun. For example, you can pretend to be the menacing tickle monster who needs the toys picked up off the floor.

Humour at your child’s expense won’t help, though, because young children are easily hurt by parental ‘teasing’. It’s also best to avoid jokes when your child is behaving in challenging ways. This can accidentally reinforce the behaviour by giving it too much attention.

In a three-day intensive seminar-conference held from November 3 to November 5, 2023, researchers from the International Hellenic University excelled in presenting their findings on “Methodological Approaches for Improving the Workplace Environment of Early Childhood Educators.” The event, titled the on “Issues in Research Methodology in Social Sciences,” provided a platform for fruitful discussions and knowledge exchange.

The key presenters were Anastasia Vatou and Vasilis Grammatikopoulos from International Hellenic University of Greece. The researchers showcased the ProW project, ” The project focuses on developing evidence-based policies and practices to strengthen the profession, career opportunities, and skills of early childhood educators. Employing mixed methods, the team identified critical focal points for improvement, emphasizing methodologies aimed at enhancing the workplace environment. The research comprised two stages. Initially, a focus group mapped the current needs/problems faced by educators in dealing with undesirable behaviors in children. Anticipated outcomes include an improvement in working conditions for educators, encompassing relationships, work climate, job satisfaction, stress reduction, and an enhancement in the sense of social self-efficacy. The participation of the International Hellenic University researchers in the conference not only contributed valuable insights to the academic community but also provided a platform for networking and collaboration.

On the 4th and 5th of September, the ProW Consortium had its 6^th transnational meeting at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at University of Porto, Portugal. With the conclusion of two years of ProW intervention in schools, the team reviewed its accomplishments and challenges and discussed the future dissemination and scalability plans. The event promoted the face-to-face meeting of the research partners with public authorities, allowing the definition of future aims and shared goals.

With a focus and concern for the social-emotional development of the student, CARDET and Institute for Development had the opportunity to organize an experiential workshop at the Multipurpose Youth Center of Ypsonas, on July 25, 2023.

The emphasis of the workshop was mainly on children working together to achieve a simple common goal among themselves, set by the children themselves. At the same time, the activity fostered the cultivation of team spirit and the recognition of the importance of working together.

The workshop was coordinated by partners of the ProW project at POKENY during the operation of the summer school. All activities were structured around positive psychology. A day dedicated to cooperative play and guiding children to be able to have empathy and work in teams. While always keeping in mind that the dominant role, in a group, is honest and polite communication.

We are grateful for the invitation we received from POKENY and look forward to another successful collaboration!

Thessaloniki, August 28, 2023 – The International Hellenic University (IHU) and the team behind the ProW project (Promoting Teachers Well-being through Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood Education – 626146-EPP-1-2020-2-EL-EPPKA3-PI-POLICY) made significant contributions to the 20th Biennial EARLI Conference, hosted by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Macedonia, Greece, held from August 22 to 26.

The conference provided an exceptional platform for researchers and professionals across diverse educational domains to converge and deliberate on the theme “Education as a Hope in Uncertain Times.” Notably, the ProW project team organized a symposium titled “Teachers’ Well-being, Social Self-efficacy, Burnout, and Job Satisfaction in Early Childhood Education Across Four Countries,” which garnered substantial interest.

The ProW project team’s symposium aimed to shed light on the critical aspects of teachers’ well-being, burnout, job satisfaction, and social self-efficacy within the context of early childhood education across various nations. The symposium’s insights were derived from comprehensive research and empirical studies conducted in different countries. The symposium not only highlighted the challenges faced by educators but also presented strategies and potential solutions to enhance the overall well-being of teachers.

Participants from the ProW project showcased their research outcomes and exchanged innovative ideas during the conference. By delving into state-of-the-art research in learning and instruction, attendees explored how education can serve as a beacon of hope during uncertain times. The event facilitated the bridging of knowledge gaps and the promotion of research esteem among professionals with interdisciplinary interests.

The collaboration between IHU and the ProW project team not only contributed to the academic dialogue but also underscored the significance of supporting teachers’ well-being and fostering a positive environment in early childhood education. As the conference concluded, its participants left with enriched perspectives, promising strategies, and a reinforced dedication to leveraging education as a force for good in an ever-changing world.

In a significant stride towards promoting the well-being of teachers in early childhood education, our project has successfully concluded its field trials in Cyprus. The completion of this transformative initiative signifies a pivotal step towards enhancing the overall quality of education and support provided to educators.

With meticulous planning and collaboration with educational institutions, the “Promoting Teachers Wellbeing Through Positive Behaviour Support in Early Childhood Education” project embarked on a two-year journey to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of PBS interventions in real-world early childhood education settings.

The successful completion of the field trials has generated widespread excitement and anticipation within the education community and as the “Promoting Teachers Wellbeing through Positive Behaviour Support in Early Childhood Education” project progresses, stakeholders remain committed to further refining and disseminating the knowledge and tools generated.

By prioritizing the well-being of teachers and adopting supportive practices, the project envisions a future where early childhood education environments are nurturing, inclusive, and empowering for both educators and young learners.

To celebrate the achievement, an open-day conference was held on the 27^th of May at the University of Nicosia where all interested parties joined together to discuss the impact of the project and future steps. 

In a recent episode of the popular podcast “Mamma Mou,” the host Georgie of Georgie’s Mummy (georgiesmummy.com/mamma-mu-podcast/) welcomed Andri Agathokleous as a special guest to delve into the topic of positive behavior support. The episode offered valuable insights and practical tips for parents and caregivers looking to foster positive behavior in children. As part of the podcast’s mission to support parents, Georgie’s warm and relatable interviewing style created an engaging and informative discussion.

You can find the episode here: https://georgiesmummy.com/mamma-mu-podcast/ with the name Άντρη Αγαθοκλέους/ Θετική συμπεριφορά στην πρώιμη παιδική ηλικία.

After the completion of the ProW intervention sessions in Lousada preschools, the early childhood teachers, along with the teams from University of Porto and from Municipality of Lousada, gathered for a final picnic. It was a pleasant afternoon filled with sharing, happiness, delicious food, and overall well-being! We extend our gratitude to the preschool teachers for all their commitment, active engagement, and cooperation throughout these two years of ProW. May they all enjoy a refreshing Summer!

On Sunday, May 7, 2023, we had the opportunity to meet and play with the children of the Multifunctional Youth Center of Ipsona (POKENY), while exploring their strong characteristics and learning social skills and behaviours.

The workshop was based on positive psychology and undertaken by the local partners of the ProW project, CARDET research centre and Institute of Development. Parents/guardians were guided to explore ways of promoting positive behaviour at home, learning new social skills, and developing their children’s social-emotional aspect. Children applied the new skills on the spot during outdoor sensory-based activities based on the messy play method, such as “waiting my turn”, “cooperating with other children”, or “respecting rules”.

The event was held in collaboration with the Multifunctional Youth Center of Ipsona (POKENY) and Messy Play, Art & Therapy by Hehe in the framework of the 2nd Pancyprian Messy Play Festival in the spacious, open courtyard of the St. Savas Church of Ipsona in Limassol.

In a remarkable display of enthusiasm and dedication, children at the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings from the Muncipality of Kalamaria came together to celebrate a special event focused on the theme of “Protection of the Sea and Planet.” The celebration showcased the commitment of these young minds to preserve the environment and instilled in them a sense of responsibility not only within the classroom but also within the wider community.

The ECEC celebration, took place on 10/06/2023 and proved to be an unforgettable day filled with learning, creativity, and a call to action. Organized by the passionate educators and staff members, the event aimed to raise awareness about the critical importance of protecting the oceans and the planet as a whole.

The children actively participated in various activities and workshops designed to educate them about marine life, the impact of pollution on the oceans, and sustainable practices. Through engaging presentations, interactive displays, and hands-on experiences, the young participants learned about the dire consequences of human actions on the environment and how they can contribute to its preservation.

One of the highlights of the celebration was the exhibition of artwork created by the children, depicting their vision of a sustainable world. These colorful and imaginative pieces showcased their deep understanding of the need for responsible stewardship of the planet. From vibrant drawings of marine creatures to sculptures made from recycled materials, the artistic expressions captured the children’s empathy and desire to make a positive difference.

The celebration culminated with a pledge taken by the children to incorporate responsible practices into their everyday lives, both at the ECEC setting and in their wider communities. They vowed to reduce waste, conserve resources, and educate others about the importance of sustainability. By establishing these values at an early age, the children demonstrated their capacity to become compassionate, informed, and proactive global citizens.

As the celebrations concluded, the children left the ECEC setting with newfound determination and a shared commitment to protect the sea and the planet. Their journey as responsible ocean warriors had just begun, and their impact on the environment and the community is sure to be significant and far-reaching.