At kindergarten, kaiako use when and then as a strategy when we want a tamaiti to do something like follow an instruction, but they want to do something else.
With when and then there is something in it for the tamaiti, and something in it for us. The tamaiti still gets to do what they want, and they also do what we want too.
It's like a magic strategy which can help to keep both us and our tamariki calm.
An example of using when and then
We want our tamariki to wash their hands before eating, however sometimes a tamaiti wants to eat straight away without washing their hands.
Kaiako say, “When you have washed your hands, then you can eat your kai”.
Kaiako then follow up with praise when te tamaiti washes their hands, like “Thanks for listening", or "Thanks for washing your hands”.
Following up with praise helps us to focus on the behaviours we want to encourage instead of those we don’t want to encourage.
How you can use this strategy at home
When you are in a rush getting ready in the morning, or at other busy times, when and then can be a good strategy to use.
"When you have gotten dressed, then you can watch TV for 10 minutes."
"When you have cleaned your teeth, then you can have a story before we go to kindy."
"When you have eaten your breakfast, then you can play with your toys before we go out."
