Reference no: EM133522885

Case: Answer the questions that follow each scenario. Use complete sentences. For example:

You work in a toddler classroom. One morning a parent tells you that she will no longer bring extra clothes or shoes for her toddler. She does not want him playing in the mud or getting excessively dirty either from outside or from indoor activities. She acknowledges that your policy is to let children explore, but she is frustrated with washing an extra outfit for every day and says that she usually has somewhere important to be after picking up her child, who is always unclean. She has to spend extra time and use another outfit to make him "presentable" and she does not want to do that anymore. She wants to bring him clean and pick him up the same way. She states that if children are dirty at pick up, it is clear that they are not being cared for properly.

Does R 400.8179 Program. Rule 179 from the Rules for Childcare Centers help? Can you use that information to help with the conversation? This rule discusses program requirements and activities offered to children. It specifies that there needs to be active and quiet play and other varieties of play, however, it does not specify about getting "messy or dirty". I don't think it will help because there is not a specific rule that says children have to be allowed to get dirty.
Are there cultural, religious, ethnic, belief system, implicit biases or other influences that affect your point of view on this conversation? Being an early childhood professional, I know that children need to be able to explore without worrying about staying clean. There are many sensory experiences that are beneficial to children that are messy. I think my gut feeling (so, an implicit bias) is that parents who don't want their children to get messy or dirty are uppity or snooty-too fancy for dirt or mess. If I'm not intentional about understanding this bias, I could come across as dismissive of the parent's concerns. This thinking may also limit what I believe the parent would be open to discussing as a way of resolution.
Is there an equity issue here? There are no clues in the text that indicate a racial, socio-economic, ethnic, cultural or religious equity issue that I can see except, perhaps, limited access to washing laundry or limited clothing for the child, but there is not much to go on.
Is there an ethical issue here? NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct helps us with this one! We have 4 Ethical Responsibilities: To Children, To Families, To Colleagues, To Society. If I honor the parent's request, then I am not meeting my ethical responsibilities to the child as I will be knowingly limiting their exploration and learning. If I do not honor the parent's request, I may not be honoring Ideal I-2.6 "To acknowledge families' childrearing values and their right to make decisions for their children"
What other resources can you access if you need further support with this conversation, or to provide support to the parents? I can discuss this with the lead teacher and the director. I can ask either of them to have a conversation with the parents. We can provide educational information to the parent about the importance of exploration and sensory discovery with the parent. We can offer to ensure that the child is clean at the end of the day, perhaps we can even put him in specific "play clothes" for the day.
Scenarios

1. You work in the infant classroom. You are working your way through college, and this is your first job working with children. You do not have children of your own. At drop off, Belinda tells you that 5-month-old Jamie is going through too many diapers during the day. She pulls out the daily sheet from yesterday showing you that Jamie was changed about every 2 hours, using a total of 5 diapers. You are not Jamie's primary caregiver, but you begin to explain that staff is trained to check every 2 hours and change any wet or soiled diapers. Before you can finish you sentence, Belinda states that today there better be no more than three diapers used when she checks the daily sheet. As she leaves, you can hear her continuing the conversation to herself-she is wondering how she's going to get enough diapers to last a week at the rate "this place" goes through them and how they already stretch out time between changes after care and over the weekend.

What does R 400.8137 Diapering; toileting. Rule 137 from the Rules for Childcare Centerssay, and how can you use that information to help with the conversation?
Are there cultural, religious, ethnic, belief system, implicit biases or other influences that affect your point of view on this conversation?
Is there an equity issue here?
Is there an ethical issue here?
What other resources can you access if you need further support with this conversation, or to provide support to the parents?

2. You work in the toddler classroom as an assistant teacher. A new child, 16 months old has been at your center for one week. She is a foster child. You have been designated as the child's primary caregiver. The foster mother asks you to only allow her to sleep for 40 minutes at nap time so that she will be ready to go to sleep earlier in the evening. She explains that with a total of six children between her biological and foster children, it will make life at home much easier for everyone. The group of toddlers typically sleeps for around an hour and a half to two hours each day after lunch.

What does R 400.8188 Sleeping, resting, and supervision. Rule 188 from the Rules for Childcare Centers say, and how can you use that information to help with the conversation?
Are there cultural, religious, ethnic, belief system, implicit bias or other influences that affect your point of view on this conversation?
Is there an equity issue here?
Is there an ethical issue here?
What other resources can you access if you need further support with this conversation, or to provide support to the parents?

3. You work in the preschool classroom as the lead teacher. You have a family in your program from India. The parents have a good English language skills and have been happy with their experience at your center, so far. At parent-teacher conferences, the parents tell you that they want their child to stay inside for the coming winter months. They have read research that suggests that children going in and out of doors during the winter can cause immune deficiency, increased chances for cold and flu, and potentially lead to environmental allergies down the road. They are adamant that the child should absolutely not be allowed outside when the temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, they ask you to pass on what they have learned with your director in an effort to change the center's policy. In fact, they believe that licensing should include a rule about it as well. They bring up that your mission includes "providing a safe environment for children" and that taking children outside in the winter is risky to their health so does not match your mission.

What does R 400.8170 Outdoor play area. Rule 170 from the Rules for Childcare Centerssay, and how can you use that information to help with the conversation?
Are there cultural, religious, ethnic, belief system, implicit bias or other influences that affect your point of view on this conversation?
Is there an equity issue here?
Is there an ethical issue here?
What other resources can you access if you need further support with this conversation, or to provide support to the parents?