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Now that the big kids (including my own son) have moved up to Primary, we have a class-ful of 6 two-yo. They all will leave and go to Primary at the end of the year. Only two really give me any problems. They are the two youngest. One's birthday is in August, and the other is October. August just likes to copy everyone and if she sees anyone with a toy, she wants to try it out, but I can redirect her with no problem to another toy. She makes eye contact with me when I talk to her and always reacts in some way to let me know that she has heard me, even if it's just to give me the stink-eye. The other however, I have no idea how to handle. He is the October child, and he wants to play with every toy. He doesn't speak as much, and not nearly as clearly as the other children. He fixates on one toy and will not be convinced that any other toy is equally as cool. If I give him another toy to play with he uses it to hit the kid on the head that has the toy he wants. Then I have to sit him in time out, because I can't have him hitting all the kids on the head. I just sit him in my lap, but the kid won't listen to me. He bucks, kicks, squirms, twists, and refuses to make eye contact. He is not interested in anything I have to say. I hold him in my lap strongly, but not tightly, and calmly say his name, or softly touch his face to try to get him to look at me. Usually after a while of this, I can get his attention and I will tell him he needs to tell the child he's sorry. He'll tell them he's sorry, and I'll let him keep playing. The problem is I have to keep doing it over and over and over. By the end of nursery I'm ready to scream, and I know he's sick of it too. He acts similarly with his parents in Sacrament meeting too. I am looking for advice on how to treat, talk, punish???, communicate, get through to him. I'm really not comfortable with doing anymore than sitting him in time out or if he gets really out of hand sending him back to his parents. I'm really unsure the best way to help him. Has anyone else tried anything that seemed to work with an difficult child?

I can see now there are many areas where I could take a little longer to cover and go over some areas. I started out with a very young nursery. We have come to the end of the year and we have finished the manual. I am thinking about using scripture stories that go alone with the conference talks for the month of October. In November we will talk about wht we are thankful for. In December we talk about Jesus Christ. What are you doing to build on the manual? I love this manual and the line drawings. I use them over and over again. The off white color is NOT very good for copying in a machine because it come off as gray and using more ink. I go to the LDS site to get copies for this reason.

:) I thought it might be fun to start a thread on your favorite teaching hint. It does not have to be Nursery just moving forward the Gospel through our youth. *One of the things I do is arrange on the wall just opposite of where I am teaching all those things I am teaching. Stories and Activities words, major points I want to make, and songs ( only the words ), and schedule so that with a glance I know where I am. This also helps my assistant and any adult visitors know what I am doing. I tell all the adults if you stay the words are on the wall so please help. This way my eye contact can be with the "little ones" and not on a manual. If you can get their attention you can teach. *Coffee filters for holding snacks. You can buy a lot cheap. *Safety tip: turn chalk board upside down , putting tray up at the top. You can still use the chalk board but the tray is not at eye level for these little ones. * Put contact paper or postal tape over the legs of the brads after they have been opened. This will make it harder for the little ones to get the brads out and pop into the mouth.

We meet from 12-3. I teach the Nursery during the last 2 hours. How do you schedule your time? We are so having trouble with sticking to any schedule. It seems we have to "plan most of our activities" as we go because this is their normal eating and nap time. Any one have a schedule that seems to work? This is all new to us. First time we have had more then one ward meet in the building. I must say this seems to be the hardest time for these young ones to meet. I have 3 "little ones" that do not even come in because they sleep. I have some that make the first say 40 min.( this is when I have tried having a lesson and activity.) After this, one or 2 of the others fall asleep during play. We lay them down on blankets under tables and in corners so the others will not step on them. We have had some laughs out of this though. The other Sunday we were talking to some Mothers about how fast they are out once they start going to sleep. One of my "little ones" ran up to us... she was so serious... "Sister, Sister, Come there goes another one! She was talking about another child that had fallen asleep with his little head down and his little bottom up in the air. She knew we were trying to move them to safer ground before they were stepped on. I love the Nursery but I hate this schedule.

I am just wondering if I am the only one who thinks it is silly to not allow a 18 month his pacifier in nursery, becasue "they had problems in the past" with pacifiers. :confused: