Nursery World - Choice and power for young children

Five-month-old Lizzie has her first teeth - and her first
toothbrush.

Being offered the toothbrush to chew and explore, she's happy; when her mother attempts to brush the tiny white teeth, Lizzie clamps her mouth shut and nothing can persuade her to open it. Lizzie is
exercising choice.

In the May 2014 elections, voters made choices about which politicians should represent them locally and in Europe. They made choices based on what mattered most to them.

While watching some of the election coverage, I found myself thinking about the ways in which young children begin to understand something about making choices, and how as adults we can support them to understand that they have some power to choose. Most toddlers come to realise this when they say the word they know so well: 'No!'

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