Child Conflict Observation

It is important that you take the time to understand the cause of the conflict and why it has happened. Listen and hear what is being said, if a child does not think that he or she is being listened to they will get even more upset or angry.

Conflict is inevitable in any personal relationship or among members of any group. While we encounter many types of conflict in our lifetime, we often look for ways to avoid conflict. So, why do we run away from dealing with our conflict? It is often because many of us fear the conflict will escalate into a situation we will not be able to sustain. “As conflicts escalate, they go through certain incremental transformations. Although these transformations occur separately on each side, they affect the conflict as a whole because they are usually mirrored by the other side. As a result of these transformations, the conflict is intensified in ways that are sometimes exceedingly difficult to undo” (Pruitt, and Kim 89). We

Children, like adults will have their disagreements. As children get older their arguments can become more serious and are not simple squabbles. In order for children and young people to trust us, it is important that we can identify difficulties and help them wherever possible to find ways through them. It is essential that children and young people perceive our way of doing this as fair. When you have a conflict with a child, there is an opportunity for learning about how to solve problems. Conflicts help children to understand that other people have different thoughts and feelings to their own. Listen to the child and try to understand their point of view, and help them to understand yours. Then together, try to think of ways to solve the problem that you are both happy with. It might take a while but it will be worth it, and will help to build your relationship.

With younger children you will usually have to resolve the disagreements for them but teaching aids such as play people and puppets can be useful to act out conflict situations and help them to understand the first steps of resolving disagreements. Young children are also more emotional and before you can resolve the problem you may have to take any upset children somewhere quite to calm down first.

On a crisp autumn day in 2016, while hidden away from the cares of my daily routine in my family room, I was called upon to elaborate on an important aspect of my life. It took some time for consideration to determine how to best portray a journey I have taken in managing conflict, as I am not a young woman. Decades filled with the blessings of being the mother of disabled children, years lived as a single parent, as well as the process of maturation, tempered by the fires of adversity, have molded me into who I am today. As I reflected, I wondered if would I know how to deal with conflict as I do now without the life experiences I have had? Certainly not! The following paragraphs will describe my primary conflict style and why I use it, how I have changed constructively in this area, how the other four styles of conflict management may serve me, and where I hope to arrive as I continue to make my way along the journey of my life.

Descriptions: I am taking the class ECE 226 Observation and Guidance of the Young Child. In this class I am learning to explore various observation techniques and guidance strategies in the early childhood setting. As an Early Childhood Educator, I need to identify child behavior and consider behavior in the context of development. Also, I have to explore environmental influences on behavior such as family, culture and community. In the class ECE 226, I developed a case study “Jack and Jill --and Sam? This case study is about Sam in the Jack and Jill Child Care Center. Sam exhibits some behavioral problems in the child care center. This case study involves dilemma, conflict, or problem that one or more of the characters in the case must negotiate.

options in addressing conflict situations. The first part of the book helps the educator understand

There were twelve children in each pre-school class, and there were two classes in the room I was assigned to. The children I interacted with ranges from four to five years old and came from socially diverse backgrounds. Hence, the observation and interaction I had with each child is different but did not entirely deviated from the expected level of maturity based on the various developmental theories. During this assignment, I observed the children regularly interacting with each other, honing their interpersonal skills through various activities. Although, the children tend to be egocentric at times, fighting over every pieces of Lego, as they struggle to see things from the perspective of other children. In particular, the children often bickers in vying for play time with me and the other teachers. However, in most cases, the children themselves resolved their squabble; a testament to Erikson’s theory, as they develop a sense of initiative and security in their ability to lead and make decisions. A true sign of the children’s developmental maturity.

What? I propose to do research about and locate a gap in elementary conflict curriculum. This will include a two-three page literature review of the current perspectives on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) and the physical curriculums. Then, after identifying a gap in the curriculum, I plan to create my own curriculum that improves up these areas. This curriculum will be presented in the form of a lesson plan, which will include: learning assessments, team projects, and individual activities.

We blame ourselves, and then we start to question our likability, and we wonder why we don't have that fantasy group of friends that everybody else in the world must have. Conflict is a process in which people disagree over significant issues, thereby creating friction (Lulofs & Cahn, 2000). This is not a simple occurrence, but there needs to be various factors included for it to be considered a conflict. Both parties must have opposing interests, thoughts, perceptions, and feelings, and they must then recognize the existence of different points of view (Lulofs & Cahn, 2000). In addition, the disagreement is not just a one time event but something that continuously occurs. Though it can be destructive it can also be beneficial, for example a relationship with little to no conflict leads to complacency but a relationship with too much conflict can lead to dysfunctional behaviors by both

Subject “Chris” is a 7 year old middle class Caucasian male. Observation is taking place in the child’s home over the course of two separate afternoons. Chris is a friendly and well spoken child who is small for his age. Chris is the youngest child in his family and both observations take place while his siblings are home. In each case one or both parents are absent.

For this child observation, I decided to observe my younger brother Jacob. Jacob is 5 years old, but he insisted that I write that he is almost 6. He is also in kindergarten this year and loving every second of being a loud, rowdy boy. I suppose I am at an advantage in this observation since I have seen the numerous developments in Jacob’s life thus far.

Parental conflict causes distress in children as the conflict could pose a direct threat to the child’s personal safety (Martinez-Torteya, Bogat, Eye, & Levendosky, 2009). Although, not every act of conflict results in negative behavior of the offspring, every relationship has periods of disagreement (Dejonghe, Bogat, Levendosky, Eye, & Davidson, 2005). Influences which may dictate negative consequential behavior in children are the frequency, intensity, and subject of conflict (Anderson & Bang, 2011; Dejonghe, Bogat, Levendosky, Eye, & Davidson, 2005; Lohman, Neppl, Senia, & Schofield, 2013; Martinez-Torteya, Bogat, Eye, & Levendosky, 2009). Youth exposed to intimate partner violence experience problems

p.65). In conflicts relational goals need to be realized and managed because they are the center of all conflicts (Wilmot, 2007. p.67) but they are not easily recognized internally or externally, and they are interpreted differently by each party (Wilmot, 2007. p.67). In the reviewed conflict, the parents feel that the children are becoming more independent, and do not care what the parents think or need. The children believe that the parents do not consider the things that are important to the children to be important. Basically, each seems to seek the respect from the other units. The way that each will react throughout the conflict will express how that person believes the other is thinking about them. They will react to an image that they have created of the other person that probably is not accurate (Wilmot, 2007. p.69). Because relationship goals are not easily determined, these goals will escalate.

Adults mediate children’s interaction and in doing so adults need to learn the necessary tools to helping our children handle conflict. In school and at home, it is important to help develop social skills. Skills such as building friendships, emotional regulation, problem solving, and being supportive are best learned at an elementary-school age. Children are taught what is socially acceptable through reward and consequence. Once children reach adolescents age, it is best to teach conflict resolution techniques. By implementing peer mediation, the children learn how to recognize a conflict and learn how to resolve a conflict on their own. At the middle and high school age level, it is also important to practice respectful and positive behaviors. At this age adolescents are going through hormonal changes and if adults focus on practicing positive respectful behaviors the habits will form and the child will have the natural skills to interact at an adult level.