Note for the trainer: Remind participants that, for children’s assertiveness to develop, their boundaries within the institution must be respected — for example, by knocking on the door of their room and asking for their opinion. Discuss “Choice Time” practices that encourage children to state their own preferences openly during the day, such as which game they wish to play.
Method: Questions and answers.
Materials: Whiteboard.
Integration into daily life: The trainer asks the group: “Within the institution’s daily practices and routines, how can we support children’s assertive self-expression so that they are not left passive and disregarded or become aggressive and attack others?”
Gathering ideas from practice: The trainer lists participants’ practical suggestions on the board — for example, “When children say no, give them space for their decisions instead of becoming angry”, and “Encourage them to defend their position using ‘I’ language during group meetings”.
“Dear colleagues, the excellent ideas from practice that we have written on the board show us a very clear truth: the child’s assertiveness develops not in a laboratory, but within daily routines. If we do not want children in the institution to remain passive and be disregarded or to become aggressive and attack others, we must create safe spaces in which they can be assertive. The first rule is very simple: a child whose boundaries are not respected cannot learn to set boundaries.
If we enter a child’s room abruptly without knocking, we silently communicate: ‘Your boundaries are unimportant; anyone with enough power may violate them.’ The child sees this and either submits — becoming passive — or repeats the same behaviour towards a peer — becoming aggressive.
For this reason, small daily practices are of vital importance. Simple but important actions, such as knocking before entering a child’s room and asking for the child’s opinion before doing something concerning them, communicate: ‘I am valuable and I have boundaries; I am respected. This is what respect looks like.’”