Question:
Read the scenario and use the B.E.T.L.S tool to explain the child’s behaviour.
Kasih (4.4 years) is playing in the dramatic play area. Her voice can be heard above all others. ‘I’m the mother and you have to do what I say!’
An argument erupts as the other children tell Kasih she’s ‘not the boss’; ‘go away Kasih we don’t like you anymore!’
Kasih begins to take the dolls from the other children. ‘You can’t have a doll if you don’t do what I say!’
Educator Ellen intervenes. ‘Kasih, we share the dolls at child-care. Please give them back.’
‘No, they don’t know how to play,’ protests Kasih. ‘I’m the mother and they have to do what I say!’
Ellen offers Kasih a choice: return the dolls or leave the area.
Kasih, with hands on hips, stares defiantly at Ellen.
Ellen returns the dolls to the other children and tells Kasih to leave the dramatic play area.
Kasih crosses her arms and stomps over to the library area and throws herself face down on the lounge.
Ellen focuses her attention on the other children and then after a few moments goes and sits with Kasih. They read a few books together and then Ellen talks to Kasih about how she can play cooperatively with others.
Ellen: Kasih, when you yelled at the other children because they wouldn’t do what you wanted, they got really upset with you.
Kasih: I know but they don’t know how to play mothers and fathers.
Ellen: Well, maybe they just want to play a different way and that’s okay.
Kasih: But I know the best way so they should listen to me.
Ellen: When you yell at your friends, they don’t want to play with you. Maybe you need to listen to your friends.
Kasih: They’re not my friends anymore!
Ellen realises that Kasih does not yet have the skills to consider her actions from the perspective of others. For Kasih, there are no shades of grey!
- Behaviour: What is the child doing?
- Thoughts: What is/might the child be thinking?
- Learning: What learning areas are affected?
- Social relationships: What social areas are being affected?
Solution:- Kasih B.E.T.L.S Scenario Assignment
Let’s use the B.E.T.L.S tool to analyze Kasih’s behavior in the given scenario:
- Behavior: Kasih is exhibiting several behaviors:
- She is loudly asserting herself as the “mother” in the dramatic play area and demanding that the other children obey her.
- When the other children resist her authority, she becomes argumentative and takes dolls away from them as a way to exert control.
- She refuses to share the dolls when asked to do so by Educator Ellen.
- Kasih displays defiant body language, such as putting her hands on her hips and staring at Ellen when given a choice to return the dolls or leave the area.
- After being asked to leave the dramatic play area, she throws herself face down on a lounge in the library area.
- Thoughts: Kasih’s thoughts and beliefs, as inferred from her behavior and statements, might include:
- She believes that she should be in control and that the other children should obey her because she is playing the role of the “mother.”
- She thinks that her way of playing is the only correct way, and she dismisses the other children’s preferences for different play styles.
- Kasih may not fully grasp the concept of sharing or understand that others may have different ideas about how to play.
- Learning: The learning areas affected by Kasih’s behavior include:
- Social and Emotional Development: Kasih is struggling with cooperative play, sharing, and understanding the perspectives of others. She needs to learn how to interact with her peers in a more socially acceptable manner.
- Conflict Resolution Skills: Kasih needs to develop skills to resolve conflicts and disagreements with her peers without resorting to aggressive or dominating behavior.
- Communication Skills: Kasih’s communication style is assertive and demanding, which is not conducive to positive interactions with her peers. She needs to learn more effective communication strategies.
- Social Relationships: Kasih’s behavior is negatively affecting her social relationships:
- Her assertive and bossy attitude is causing conflict with her peers, leading them to reject her and express their dislike for her.
- Kasih’s refusal to share and her insistence on being in control are hindering her ability to form positive and cooperative relationships with her peers.
- She is isolating herself by insisting that others should play according to her rules, which is causing her to lose friends and feel rejected.
In summary, Kasih’s behavior in this scenario reflects a lack of social and emotional development in areas such as cooperative play, conflict resolution, and understanding others’ perspectives. Educator Ellen recognizes the need to help Kasih develop these essential skills to improve her social relationships and become a more cooperative and considerate playmate.