Nursery World - Keeping afloat

Practitioners who understand children's response to emotion can demonstrate the calmness and thought to overcome it, say Jenny Mosley and Ross Grogan Q. A boy aged two and a half at playgroup throws tantrums when he doesn't get his own way. He becomes visibly devastated and kicks the floor and screams, even after a small incident. He reacts like this at home as well. How should we and the parents support him?

Q. A boy aged two and a half at playgroup throws tantrums when he doesn't get his own way. He becomes visibly devastated and kicks the floor and screams, even after a small incident. He reacts like this at home as well. How should we and the parents support him?

A. Let's start by thinking about how children learn to swim. Imagine a little girl paddling happily in the shallow water and laughing with pleasure. Then imagine that the child has ventured too far and finds herself in water that is too deep. What does she do? She is immediately off balance, she thrashes wildly and loses all sense of control over her body. She is in desperate need of assistance.

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