Nursery World - Positive Relationships: Behaviour

A child who is always feeling unwell or hurt when they have no physical cause to be may need emotional support, explains Cath Hunter

CASE STUDY: SARAH

Sarah, aged four, was always following the nursery staff around saying she had hurt her finger, had a tummy ache or felt sick. If another child knocked into her or touched her accidentally, she reacted in a very dramatic way and would tell staff, ‘He pushed me, that hurt!’ She was frequently showing them her finger or knee, trying to find a mark or scratch.

The staff were concerned about her friendships with the other children, who increasingly avoided her because she often accused them of hurting her, even though they hadn’t.

Sarah was also very adult-focused, noticing any small changes in their appearance, and found it hard to stay at a task.

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