# BETTER INTERACTIONS BETTER BEHAVIOR

*Try these tips to increase positive interactions in the lives of all young children— and watch their behavior improve!*

### Teacher-child interactions Teacher-parent interactions Child-parent interactions

##### Brief Reflection Tool

1. Do I monitor my body-language?  
   - Yes  
   - Sometimes  
   - No  
   - Ask yourself questions to unearth positive thoughts. *(A self-reflection tool like this one can help!)*

2. Do I consider what I say before I say it?  
   - Yes  
   - Sometimes  
   - No  
   - **“I wonder what could be causing stress for Ben?”**

3. Do I demonstrate sincerity?  
   - Yes  
   - Sometimes  
   - No

**FAMILY RULES**

| Message | Family Vision | Expectations |  
|---|---|---|  
| “When you dump food on the floor, I have to stop what I'm doing and clean up the mess. It makes me feel frustrated.” | Don’t take a parent’s frustration or criticism personally. Try to hear the worries behind the criticism and focus on how to help. | Post these rules prominently in the house. |  
| Be kind | Non-accusatory; great way to involve the child in solving the problem. | Listen to your parents |  
| Clean up after yourself | |  
| Be respectful | |

| Ask kids about their interests | Brush up on developmental milestones and share your knowledge with parents to ease their anxieties and help them adjust expectations. | Is there enough storage for everyday items? |  
| Let them lead the discussion | Communicate genuine interest in their thoughts & feelings | Does furniture placement allow for easy child supervision? |

##### Do this  
- Start positive, organic conversations every day!  
- Reassure them with info on developmental norms to minimize frustrations  
- Have safety issues been addressed? Are items needed for activities easily accessible?

| Action | Parents | Reinforcement |  
|---|---|---|  
| Take time to hear what the child is saying | Parents are experts on their kids! | Reinforce positive behaviors with small incentives or visual aids. |  
| Don’t jump in with advice right away | Recognize the value of any ideas or solutions they offer. | |  
| Repeat the message back in different words | | |  
| Encourage child to think about the problem | | |

##### and identify a solution

*You can find the self-reflection tool in Addressing Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Settings*

##### The information in this infographic is adapted from the following early childhood resources:

| Resource | Authors |  
|---|---|  
| Addressing Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Settings | Dawn M. Denno, Victoria Carr, Isaura Barrera & Lucinda Kramer |  
| Little Kids, Big Worries | Alice Sterling Honig |  
| Using Skilled Dialogue to Transform Challenging Interactions | V. Mark Durand |  
| Optimistic Parenting | Meme Hieneman, Karen Childs, & Jane Sergay |  
| Parenting with Positive Behavior Support | Susan Hart Bell |

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