MNHQ - need your thoughts quickly on NICE guidelines to schools on "playing nice"

[AbbyMumsnet]

Hi all - quick canvas of opinions if you don't mind.

New guidance says schools should teach children as young as four about conflict resolution and managing their feelings.
NICE have actually produced guidance on this for schools.

We've got to give Telegraph a quote in next hour - so what are your thoughts on this? Does it sound like telling them to ?play nice? to you?

[Swedes]

Four year olds don't have feelings, they only have demands.

[fryalot]

conflict resolution?

managing their feelings?

sounds very much like telling them to 'play nice' to me.

Which I believe they already do

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[fryalot]

as in teachers tell them to.
Not playing nice. Four year olds tend not to play nice. Mostly.

ykwim

[Carmenere]

Haven't teachers always done this? Yes it does sound like a new and improved way of telling kids to 'play nice' Sounds like a waste of money. Who decided that there was a gap in this aspect of teaching?

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[Swedes]

Anyway, shouldn't it be playing nicely?

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[TheHonEnid]

god can't parents do this?

[No1ErmaBombeckfan]

Playing nice??? - a posting in pendant's corner can't be far off...

Children grow up fast enough as it is, and there has to be a bit of hair pulling or pinching in the equation...

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[AbbyMumsnet]

Agree that schools should teach all these things - but think angle is that NICE is getting involved.

[tiredemma]

What has the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (or 'Cost Effectiveness' judging by recent 'guidelines') got to do with the playground???????

[AbbyMumsnet]

Yes - apparently!

[TheHonEnid]

dd1 and 2's school make the big ones look after the little ones

no bullying tolerated

thats good enough for me

[AbbyMumsnet]

here

[PortAndLemon]

I think talking about managing feelings is very important -- giving feelings names, talking about what happens to us when we get angry or frustrated and how we can deal with those situations. None of that is rocket science but it's not intuitive for children either and a bit of guidance can make a huge difference.

And conflict resolution too seems like a god idea -- these are the two opposing viewpoints, what can we do?

It's al very How To Talk ... in approach, which is no bad thing IMO.

Now, if anyone is expecting it to lead to universal peace and harmony in the playground, then that's just unrealistic.

And, come to think of it, encouraging emotional literacy isn't terribly British, is it?

[TheHonEnid]

I think its stupid

let teachers get on with teaching

let parents do the hand-holding

'some parents dont etc etc'

yeah well they should, we all have the same 24 hours in a day and if parents can't be arsed to be kind to their kids and teach them how to be kind to other kids then they shouldn't expect teachers to do it for them.

[TheHonEnid]

[Boco]

I could lend them my knew poster, isn't it NICE