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Question
I have heard nannies and parents talk about “redirection” to help children’s behavior. What exactly is this and is it an effective technique that I should be using for children in my care? How should I go about implementing redirection?
Answer
Great question! Redirection is an extremely popular technique for managing a child’s behavior. Basically, the goal is to direct a child’s attention from an inappropriate action to an appropriate action.
Using redirection can help a caregiver avoid the use of punishment, which too often isn’t effective and can contribute to continued misbehavior. Instead, redirection can promote children’s learning and more desirable behaviors. When you want to redirect behavior, it is best to stay calm, give a simple correction, and suggest a more appropriate choice.
Example: The child you are carrying for is holding a crayon and heading for the wall—it appears the wall is their new canvas to display their artwork. To prevent them from actually coloring on the wall, commence the intervention by getting down on the child’s level so you are making eye contact and say, “We cannot draw on the wall. Instead, let’s get you a coloring book or some construction paper”. The child may be upset, but you are providing an expectation that drawing on the wall is not allowed and giving them a chance to make a more appropriate decision. If they appear upset, you can say, “I understand you are upset that you cannot draw on the wall. It can be tough when we can’t do exactly what we want to do.” This allows you to show the child empathy for their big feelings.
For younger children, effective redirection may be a distraction that turns their attention away from inappropriate behaviors.
Example: The baby in your care is crawling towards an electrical outlet. Say to the child, “I’m going to pick you up now so we can play in the living room with toys that are safe and fun!” Then, pick the baby up, place them in a different area with different options for toys they can engage with. Then, watch them as they engage with the toys in interactive play.
Redirecting older children, however, requires more than a distraction. It is necessary they understand why their first choice was not the most appropriate behavior or decision, and how it may be breaking certain rules or going against expectations. In explaining why they are being redirected to a more appropriate activity, you can always use empathy to acknowledge how they may be feeling.
Example: If the child is demonstrating undesirable behavior, such as not taking turns during game play, you can say the following: “I hear that you are having a tough time taking turns. It can be frustrating when we all want to play at the same time, but you may not yell and call each other names. What can you do while your sibling is playing, and you are waiting for your turn?”
Remember, redirecting children’s behavior is a great and effective tool to use that can help your child make better and more appropriate decisions, while also reducing the risk of injury or harmful behavior and preventing punishment and negative feelings. This is also an opportunity to reinforce expectations that you have for children in your care and allows them to learn between what behaviors and actions are appropriate or inappropriate.
Thanks again for your question, and remember, Via The Village is always here to help!
