“If all behavior is communication, then Noah* was really trying to tell us something,” laughs Marla Meadows, a PEP Early Childhood Plus consultant.
Noah, a four-year-old boy at one of the child care centers where Marla consults, was wreaking havoc in his classroom at naptime. He would leap off his cot, run around the room, scream, and have tantrums. His behavior quickly disrupted the environment the teachers were trying to create. Other children began to imitate him, and those who were ready to rest had little chance of falling asleep amidst the chaos.
“It was very disruptive and made it difficult for the other children to fall asleep,” explained Marla. “That kind of dynamic can throw a classroom off for the rest of the day.”
Marla, like her colleagues on PEP’s Child Care Consultation team, works with child care centers to help staff, parents, and caregivers support the social and emotional development of young children. When children struggle in group settings, their behavior is often a form of communication. They just don’t have the words to express what they need.
That was the case for Noah. Marla understood his resistance to naptime wasn’t about being “naughty.” It was a sign that he didn’t yet feel safe enough to rest. Instead of focusing on getting him to sleep, the team focused on helping him feel secure, supported, and understood.
Working closely with the center’s staff, who shared observations, concerns, and ideas, Marla led the team in creating a plan for Noah. They developed an individualized story to help him understand what would happen before, during, and after naptime. With that predictability in place, his stress began to decrease.
During the day, teachers practiced calming strategies with Noah, including deep breathing and techniques from Conscious Discipline, a research-grounded, adult-first approach to supporting behavior and learning. They also introduced a small, consistent ritual to help him prepare for rest. Throughout it all, teachers stayed emotionally present, used calm voices, and reminded him that he was safe.
Over time, there were meaningful changes. Noah’s screaming and refusals decreased. He stayed on his cot longer and began using his breathing strategies to calm himself. As staff remained consistent and supportive, he developed trust in both the routine and the adults around him. Eventually, Noah felt safe enough to fall asleep on his own after completing his rest time routine. What had once been a stressful part of the day became calm and predictable.
The impact reached beyond one child.
With the right support, Noah learned how to feel safe, calm his body, and rest. In turn, the entire classroom became quieter, more predictable, and more ready for learning.
This is the impact of PEP’s Early Childhood Plus Child Care Consultation. By working alongside teachers to better understand what children are communicating through their behavior, consultants help build classrooms where individual needs are met and where every child has a better chance to succeed.
Learn More
To learn more about PEP’s Early Childhood Plus Child Care Consultation, visit our website or contact Jim Flynn, director, Early Childhood Plus at 216-361-7760 ext. 142 or via email.
*Not his real name