Am I being precious about this?

[akaemmafrost]

DD, just turned 5 has started Reception this week. She hasn't said much, except that she doesn't like it and wants to stay at home but her teacher says she is fine, no problems etc.

However this weekend there has been a lot of putting, dollys, teddies and, well, everyone really onto "The Time Out Chair". So I gently asked her about the Time Out Chair, she has not been on it but named a few other of the tinies in her class who have been (they are mostly aged 4, dd is a September baby and turned 5 this week). When she said who had been, she went really quiet and looked so down and sad.

It just makes me really, this obvious fear of "The Time Out Chair". I suppose I have just always dealt with bad behaviour as and when and we all knew where we stood. It seems like the modern day equivalent of The Dunces Cap to me.

I suppose I just need to man up and accept that my PSB (precious second born) is now "out there" and this is the norm.

Just wanted to mull it over really.

Another way to look at this is to consider how upsetting your DD would have found it if the teacher wasn't dealing with unacceptable behaviour.

She may be concerned about the timeout chair but how would she feel if pupils who were shouting out/snatching/hitting etc were allowed to continue to do so in the classroom?

I agree with Clam.

When did this time out chair become a 'naughty chair'? I expect it's a place for a child who is overloaded (and therefore no longer following instructions/ able to produce reasonable classroom behaviours) to go and have some time to get their self control back. There's no punishment in that?

And, really? You want there to be no (or only 'hidden') behaviour management strategies in place in a classroom because they worry your child? It would be much, much worse for her if her classroom were allowed to become an unruly, unmanaged place. I think you just need to explain to her the purpous or time out/ quiet time for the children who need it and make sure she sees it as a positive thing that allows everybody to learn together in a busy classroom.

I teach KS1 children with statements for behavioural difficulties. For every one that makes it into a special school like mine there are many others being 'managed' in mainstream. If your child has some children in her class who struggle to self regulate it is very important that there are clear bondaries and strategies in place to help them, which in turn helps the rest of the class.

I do recall being a little like "wow they mean business they are only little" but the kids got over those early feelings and actually realised that if they did as the teacher asked she was firm and fair (and very friendly). I would also say having been a parent helper in reception last year that I'd prefer the teacher had them doing as they are told so that they can enjoy their reception year as much as possible and importantly she can have a safe room for them all to be in.

"Time-out chair" has turned into "naughty chair" which is on its way to becoming "electric chair!"

OP, my DD sounds very similar to yours and took a few weeks to be actually what I'd call 'happy' in reception. Pre-school was something she seemed to endure rather than enjoy.

But something did seem to click with her at school once she realised that it really was only children who were behaving really badly who got disciplined.

As she's naturally very compliant in school (at the moment, anyway) she eventually put two and two together about the fact that her good behaviour meant the naughty chair wouldn't be a threat to her (she'd be mortified if she ever was put on it) and settled very well. Hopefully a chat along those lines with your DD will help to resolve this too

You are being precious. As a parent i would be perfectly happy wit the time out chair,as it suggest that the teacher is setting boundaries. I do understand why you may be a bit uncomfortable with this, but can you imagine having to manage a class of thirty 4/5 year olds. My idea of a nightmare.
You must also be careful about what young children say. If i had listened to my ds when he was in reception, i would be at the school every day as he frequently claimed that various children 'pushed him' . It turned out that he bumped into one little boy at play time....

I think this is normal and your child will have forgotten about this in a few days as it is all new to them. Once they've settled in there will be less of them on the naughty chair.