Thursday, April 06, 2006

Time

One concern we often hear expressed when we train on this method is: I don’t have enough time! We don’t have time to think up all these individualized responses, much less do them. How can we spend time with an individual child doing restorative work? Who will be watching the rest of the kids?

It does not take more time, or more staff, to do this method. Restraints take time. Restraints use a lot of staff. This method cuts down on restraints, cuts down on staff holding doors shut to keep kids in rooms. This method cuts down on power struggles and arguments over the loss of points that result in escalation and angry outbursts.

Restorations do not necessarily take a long time. They do not have to take as long as the former restriction would have taken. They can be as straightforward as a conversation.

Restorations can be done in groups, and at staff convenience.

Quite a bit of time is freed by not having to fill out, tally and record points.

The relaxed, flexible atmosphere results in staff having more time, and in heir using their time in more meaningful ways- in forming true relationships with the children.

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