Session 1

Session 1: Nurturing Through Physical Routines

Getting Focused Activity: I Wonder What It Feels Like

Children learn a lot about trust, relationships, and themselves through daily routine activities guided by an adult. The child care provider’s feelings strongly affect these interactions because the provider manages, guides, and interacts with children. Reflecting on the feelings of both the child and the child care provider may help providers plan routines in a thoughtful and sensitive manner.

Have you ever wondered what a child feels like in the following situations:

• having to line up to go to the bathroom
• having to lie quietly when feeling full of energy
• being asked to put away a spaceship just before landing on the moon
• being told to finish what is left on the plate when having a tummy that feels all tied up in knots

Directions

Step 1: Review the situations.

Step 2: Think of similar situations from your childhood.

Step 3: Briefly describe at least two of your childhood situations. Include in your description how you felt in each situation and explain why you think you felt that way.

Step 4: Explain how you would have wanted the adult(s) in each of the situations to respond to you.

Step 5: Participate in a class discussion where you share at least one situation.

Checking In

Contact your teacher for instructions about participating in the discussion.