Alana (four years old) is a child who has been attending Little.ly for three years. She has an easy temperament and has a bubbly and friendly personality. Alana used to be looked after by her grandmother who recently became very ill and died unexpectedly.

Alana is very upset when her mother leaves her in the morning, but she settles quite quickly within ten minutes. She plays happily with most of the children in the room. Yesterday she was playing shop with friends. The educator reminded her that it was time for her friends to have an afternoon sleep. The educator said that Alana could sit quietly and read a book to rest her body and mind. Alana got very upset. She threw things and pushed the educator away and screamed that she had not finished. She had not ever displayed this type of behaviour before.

Alana's educator said calmly, 'Alana, I understand how tricky it is to stop a game when you are playing. Are you feeling okay? Come and sit with me and we can have a chat'. Alana started crying and the educator reached out and gave her a cuddle. She said, 'It's okay to feel upset, I'm sorry I didn't realise it would upset you to ask your friends for their sleep. Is anything else bothering you?'

Alana cuddled tighter and said, 'My Nana went away too, I can't play with her and Mummy doesn't play with me anymore either'.

The educator listened to her and said, 'I'm very sad that your Nana went away. I bet that's really sad and hard for you to understand. Do you think Mummy is a bit sad at the moment too? Maybe we can make her a card or a picture while your friends have a sleep'.

Alana drew a picture for her Mum and settled down. The educator sat with her during rest time and reminded Alana that she is here if she needs a cuddle at any time.

The educator said to Alana as she was drawing, 'How are you feeling now? How were you feeling before?' Alana said she is feeling better but she was sad. The educator said, 'Sometimes feeling sad can make us feel a bit angry too. Do you think you felt angry or were you feeling something else?'

Alana said, 'I was angry but I felt like my friends were going to leave too'.

The educator said, 'Maybe you were feeling a bit scared do you think?'

Alana said 'Yes'.

The educator said 'If you ever feel like that again, I'd like you to breathe in and out and then tell me how you are feeling, that way we can make sure you and our friends are happy and safe, is that okay?'

Alana said, 'Yes, I shouldn't have done that'.

The educator said, 'That's okay, and it's understandable that you felt that way. You didn't know you could tell me how you were feeling, but now you do'. The educator asked the question, 'What did you love to do with your Nana?' The two chatted for the full rest time about Alana's Nana and the educator learned lots about what they liked to do together.

The educator let Alana's mum know that she was a bit upset today and that Alana found comfort in drawing her mum a picture:

• Identify two factors that might be influencing Alana's behaviour.
• List the techniques the educator used to let Alana know she genuinely cared and to support Alana self-regulate her emotions.
• Explain why you think the educator's choice to respond the way they did (with respect and sensitivity) when comforting Alana was successful.
• Explain how Alana's individual stage of development, temperament and personality might help you to understand her behaviour.
• A child's ability to regulate their own emotions is linked to brain development. Please discuss how Alana's age influences her behaviour.