Nursery teachers manage young children through consistent routines, positive guidance and engaging activities rather than strict discipline. Clear, simple expectations, calm responses and close supervision help children feel secure and behave well. The guiding idea is that good management with young children is mostly prevention — secure routines and engaging activities head off most difficulties before they arise. The guiding idea is prevention: secure routines and engaging activities head off most difficulties.
Consistent routines
Predictable routines help young children feel safe and know what to expect, which reduces anxiety and challenging behaviour.
Transitions are managed gently with warnings and familiar signals.
Positive guidance
Teachers focus on encouraging wanted behaviour through praise, modelling and redirection rather than punishment.
Positive attention is a powerful tool with young children.
Engaging activities
Well-planned, stage-appropriate activities keep children absorbed, which prevents much unwanted behaviour before it starts.
Boredom is a common cause of difficulty, so engagement matters.
Calm, responsive supervision
Teachers stay calm, observe closely and respond to needs quickly, helping children regulate their emotions over time.
Modelling calm behaviour teaches children to manage their own feelings.
Responding when difficulties do happen
Even with good prevention, young children will have tears, disputes and off-days. Skilled nursery teachers respond by staying calm, acknowledging feelings, and helping the child name and settle emotions rather than simply stopping behaviour.
Consistency between adults matters greatly, so children receive the same gentle expectations from everyone. Over time this steady, warm approach helps children learn to regulate their own feelings and behaviour.
Helping children build self-regulation
Beyond managing behaviour in the moment, skilled nursery teachers help children gradually learn to manage their own feelings and actions.
They do this by naming emotions, modelling calm, offering simple choices and acknowledging feelings, so children slowly internalise regulation.
This longer-term goal — growing self-regulation rather than just immediate compliance — is what distinguishes nurturing practice from mere control.
Toward children managing themselves
Beyond managing behaviour in the moment, skilled nursery teachers help children gradually learn to manage their own feelings and actions.
Naming emotions, modelling calm and offering simple choices help children internalise self-regulation.
This focus on growing self-regulation, not just compliance, marks nurturing practice.
What to check
- Consistent, predictable routines
- Positive reinforcement strategies
- Stage-appropriate, engaging activities
- Calm responses to difficulties
- Close, attentive supervision
- Prevention through routine and engagement
- Calm, consistent responses between staff
Important distinction
Behaviour approaches should always be gentle, age-appropriate and in line with safeguarding policy. Training covers positive strategies rather than punitive methods.
Related quick questions
Is discipline strict in nurseries?
How do you handle tantrums?
Do routines really help?
How do you handle a tantrum calmly?
Why is consistency between staff important?
Is prevention really the main tool?
What is the longer-term goal of behaviour support?
How do teachers build self-regulation?
What is the longer-term goal?
How is it built?
Related LCT pathway
The Nursery Teacher Training pathway at London College of Teachers is the most directly related programme.
Explore Nursery Teacher Training