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Child's behaviour

My daughter is 4 year old she have started school 2 months ago . She developed a habit of poking people . We worked very hard to stop her from doing this but nothing is working. Her teachers said she now started to poke in others children eyes .. what should we do . Can someone give advice. We are very worried 😟

Reply 1

Have you tried reward charts? Or social stories about not touching or hurting other children?

Reply 2

We need more information than this really. Things like the situations in which she does this, how she explains or talks about it, the efforts you've made to stop her and so on. There could be a whole host of reasons for it, but we're just shooting in the dark without more context.

Reply 3

Original post
by jaanipola
My daughter is 4 year old she have started school 2 months ago . She developed a habit of poking people . We worked very hard to stop her from doing this but nothing is working. Her teachers said she now started to poke in others children eyes .. what should we do . Can someone give advice. We are very worried 😟

Talk to the school - they will have seen exactly this sort of stuff before and will know how to help.

Reply 4

I am disappointed if the school has made you feel that this in-school behaviour is somehow yours to sort out (perhaps they haven't and they have simply let you know what is happening)

People you could contact to ask about this: the school nurse and/or health visitor, parent internet forums (this one is focussed on much older students). You could ask the school if they have considered a referral to educational psychology or specialist behavioural advisors (if they haven't, this might be a sign that it isn't actually that big a deal for them)

Please be assured that this isn't an unusual problem and although it sounds malign, your daughter may well be being something of a little scientist, or exploring the sensory experience rather than actively wanting to hurt anyone. Of course that doesn't mean that the other children will be comfortable with it, especially not with being poked in the eyes, so it does have to be addressed. That might mean the school needs to supply alternative sensory activities as a distraction (and perhaps you too at home)

Reply 5

Original post
by Crazy Jamie
We need more information than this really. Things like the situations in which she does this, how she explains or talks about it, the efforts you've made to stop her and so on. There could be a whole host of reasons for it, but we're just shooting in the dark without more context.

She does this when we are with her . And when she does she looks at us . But now her teacher saying she sometimes do this at school as well.

Reply 6

Original post
by dirtmother
I am disappointed if the school has made you feel that this in-school behaviour is somehow yours to sort out (perhaps they haven't and they have simply let you know what is happening)
People you could contact to ask about this: the school nurse and/or health visitor, parent internet forums (this one is focussed on much older students). You could ask the school if they have considered a referral to educational psychology or specialist behavioural advisors (if they haven't, this might be a sign that it isn't actually that big a deal for them)
Please be assured that this isn't an unusual problem and although it sounds malign, your daughter may well be being something of a little scientist, or exploring the sensory experience rather than actively wanting to hurt anyone. Of course that doesn't mean that the other children will be comfortable with it, especially not with being poked in the eyes, so it does have to be addressed. That might mean the school needs to supply alternative sensory activities as a distraction (and perhaps you too at home)

Errr, it certainly IS the job of the parent to discipline and teach their kids how to behave. It's not the school's role- they are there to teach and educate children in the school curriculum. Would you ask the police for advice on how to use the roads?

Seek advice from teachers by all means but parental responsibilities lie with parents.

If this were my child involved in this I would absolutely want to know from the school about any behaviours they view are problematic and I would absolutely do something about it. One can always ask their own parents for advice or discuss it with other parents. Expecting schools to automatically deal with anything outside of the school curriculum is absolutely unreasonable.

I would also point out that children behaving in this way is categorically NOT indicative of a failure in parenting or upbringing. Children learn, as in many other things, how to behave and interact with others. Often this involves experimentation or the testing of boundaries. It's not a sign their parents are lackadaisical or absent. On the contrary, I have observed wayward behaviours in children who are parented very closely so I do not believe there is any blame of any sort to be laid at anyone's feet. Children be going children things.

Reply 7

Guessing that those commenting are not early years specialists...

Reply 8

Original post
by ErasistratusV
Errr, it certainly IS the job of the parent to discipline and teach their kids how to behave. It's not the school's role- they are there to teach and educate children in the school curriculum. Would you ask the police for advice on how to use the roads?
Seek advice from teachers by all means but parental responsibilities lie with parents.
If this were my child involved in this I would absolutely want to know from the school about any behaviours they view are problematic and I would absolutely do something about it. One can always ask their own parents for advice or discuss it with other parents. Expecting schools to automatically deal with anything outside of the school curriculum is absolutely unreasonable.
I would also point out that children behaving in this way is categorically NOT indicative of a failure in parenting or upbringing. Children learn, as in many other things, how to behave and interact with others. Often this involves experimentation or the testing of boundaries. It's not a sign their parents are lackadaisical or absent. On the contrary, I have observed wayward behaviours in children who are parented very closely so I do not believe there is any blame of any sort to be laid at anyone's feet. Children be going children things.

Police constantly give talks in schools and provide road safety resources, so yeah you would ask them for advice? It's just not their responsibility.

Reply 9

Original post
by ErasistratusV
Errr, it certainly IS the job of the parent to discipline and teach their kids how to behave. It's not the school's role- they are there to teach and educate children in the school curriculum. Would you ask the police for advice on how to use the roads?
Seek advice from teachers by all means but parental responsibilities lie with parents.
If this were my child involved in this I would absolutely want to know from the school about any behaviours they view are problematic and I would absolutely do something about it. One can always ask their own parents for advice or discuss it with other parents. Expecting schools to automatically deal with anything outside of the school curriculum is absolutely unreasonable.
I would also point out that children behaving in this way is categorically NOT indicative of a failure in parenting or upbringing. Children learn, as in many other things, how to behave and interact with others. Often this involves experimentation or the testing of boundaries. It's not a sign their parents are lackadaisical or absent. On the contrary, I have observed wayward behaviours in children who are parented very closely so I do not believe there is any blame of any sort to be laid at anyone's feet. Children be going children things.

Yeah u r right but when she is with us we try very hard to stop her . During school holidays she almost stopped doing this . But when school started she start doing this again. 🤔

Reply 10

Original post
by jaanipola
Yeah u r right but when she is with us we try very hard to stop her . During school holidays she almost stopped doing this . But when school started she start doing this again. 🤔

This is why it is worth seeking expert input so that you start from *why* this might be happening, which helps point to effective strategies.

What seems like the obvious thing to do may not help a particular child (eg reward charts are for positive behaviours, not for 'not' doing something)

Getting along with peers in groups is very much in the wheelhouse of the EY curriculum.

Reply 11

Original post
by jaanipola
Yeah u r right but when she is with us we try very hard to stop her . During school holidays she almost stopped doing this . But when school started she start doing this again. 🤔

Don't panic, if you are just firm and maintain the same stance against poor or unwanted behaviours it will likely resolve over time. A lot of kids have times where they present with something challenging, had similar with my own son and the issue basically disappeared after he learned that doing something unkind eventually comes to bite you back because others will respond negatively toward it or or something similar back.

It isn't something you had done or not done. I think most if not all children go through similar phases. I think the 3-4 year period is a classical timeframe for it- it's about the age where children realise they can express themselves but can't always master communication enough to do so effectively and so grabbing or poking others etc is used as an improvised way of making themselves heard or acknowledged. I'd be willing to bet in most cases challenging things are learned or borrowed from someone else; likely from an encounter they have had with another child before previously.

If you watch enough wildlife documentaries you will see that adolescent monkeys get reprimanded by adults plenty enough.
(edited 3 months ago)

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