There are various challenging social behaviours that may benefit from time-out, such as, aggression towards peers and adults,non-compliance and destructive behaviour. A comprehensive and positive approach should include the following-

 1. Building Positive Relationships
A warm and caring relationship between the child and the adult serves as a strong foundation for teaching the positive behavioural social skills. It is very important that every child must feel valued by the adults. Adults must understand the value of positive feedback to the child and building an affectionate relationship too. Children feel more motivated when they feel that they are liked and valued by the adults and in return they seek adult attention in positive ways and also accept their guidance. Children who receive positive nurturing from the caregivers are able to acquire the desirable social skills and also learn to regulate their emotions and behaviour.

 2 Using Classroom Preventive Practices.
A structured guidance can minimize the problematic behaviours in the classroom. Various preventive measures like planned transitions, organized play activities, usage of appropriate materials and equipments, supportive peer interactions and choice of opportunities minimize the likelihood of challenging behaviour of children.

 3. Teaching Social Skills.
 For all the children, it is a new experience when they are introduced to the group-care setting in preschools or day care  They are a part of a large group of same-age peers. The opportunity to play with new group of children brings challenges related to social behaviour  friendship development, expression of emotions or many other conflicts. So it becomes very important to provide the children with repeated, simple and clear instructions on socio-emotional skills which are required to maintain healthy social relationships. It includes careful planning and provision of multiple and meaningful opportunities. It also includes promoting the pro social behaviour and the use of guidance procedures in the classrooms.

4. Individualizing Behaviour Intervention Efforts.
 Young children engage themselves in a variety of problematic behaviours such as biting, hitting, pulling hair, pushing, or throwing. For many children these kinds of behaviours serve as the opportunity for the caregivers to observe and guide the child in a specific situation. Based on particular situation, adults examine the context of child’s behaviour and then decide how and when to intervene. In this manner, adult’s intervention is planned according to the individualized needs of the child. This intervention can also be used in persistent problem behaviour which is not developmentally expected. The teacher may select the intervention strategy after observing, understanding and recognizing the purpose or function of the problem behaviour  This process depends mainly upon the interactions with the child.

 5. Teaching Children Replacement Skills.
Children who have behaviour issues to get their needs met from adults often are missing some vital communication or social skills. Adult’s response and their intervention towards the situation should be based on an understanding of child’s behaviour and identification of the skills that a child needs to learn. Once the caregiver has identified what to be taught to the child, a supportive action plan can be designed that can include the preventive measures to minimize the persistent behaviour  a new variety of instructional strategies can be decided to teach new and acceptable social skills and the responses.

 6. Providing Specialized Services.
In some cases, children with severe challenging behaviour may need professional support from mental health/special education or medical consultants. These members can team up with the early educators to provide the comprehensive interventions and support to the child and the family members. The care givers or early educators should work collaboratively with other professionals in designing and implementing the support services beyond the early childhood program within the home and society. It also includes ongoing evaluation and assessment of the child.

 7. Involving Families.
Early education programs should inform adequately to the families about the classroom preventive behaviour strategies. If something is considered f by the teacher, including how and when, the child’s parents should be consulted/informed. The family should agree that challenging behaviours are serious and they need to be corrected at a right time with properly planned measures. Healthy parenting tips “to be used at home” should also to be told by the professionals to the family members.