Overview
A common practice in many early learning settings is to ensure that there are multiples of all the equipment so that conflict can be avoided. Eight kids, eight bottles of glue, and eight pairs of scissors make for a smooth and fight-free craft project. Six toddlers and a dozen baby dolls cut down on “MINE!”
Providing multiples of most everything has been standard operating procedure for so long, people just assume it is the best choice.
The idea of not having enough, of creating some scarcity, is seldom considered. We live in a consumer-driven world of plenty, after all, making the idea of not having enough of anything socially hard to stomach. Why not take this simple step to avoid conflict and make the day run smoother?
Why It’s Important
Well, we have a few reasons.
First off, early learning should not be about making the day easier for caregivers as much as it should be about providing children with what they need right here and right now in this moment. (Note that we said need, not want.) Just because it makes the adult caregiver’s day easier does not mean it is a good choice for children. For example, baby swings are overused in many programs because overstimulated infants fall asleep and sleeping babies are less demanding. These contraptions make the adult’s day easier, but the baby would be better off on the floor with peers or in the arms of a tuned-in caregiver.
The main reason we encourage you to purposefully create some scarcity in your program is that it can create conflict. Conflict can be good once children get a bit older—say three and up—and are learning to autonomously navigate the social world. When there are not enough bottles of glue, kids are forced to practice sharing, waiting their turn, self-regulating, controlling their emotions, delaying gratification, problem solving, compromise, and so much more. Scarcity-induced conflict creates learning moments.
Learning all the skills mentioned in the previous paragraph is vital for survival in our world. We have to learn to wait our turn, compromise, share, and all the rest if we are going to be able to navigate the world as adults.
Eight bottles of glue for eight kids does not lead to these life lessons. Seven or six or five bottles of glue for eight kids does.
Playful interaction allows a penalty-free rehearsal of the normal give-and-take necessary in social groups.
—Stuart Brown, MD, with Christopher Vaughan, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul
How to Support It
1. Purposefully create scarcity from time to time: not enough glue for everyone, a limited amount of tape, fewer paintbrushes.
2. Help children manage themselves. Kids who have never encountered “not enough for everyone” can have a hard time dealing with the concept. Kids who have never had to practice sharing can struggle with the concept. Be supportive and help them through the experience.
3. Expect some aggression. First-time sharing or turn waiting can sometimes lead to growls and threats. Expect them and be prepared to address them. (How you address it depends, of course, on the child and the situation. Strong emotional environments make managing these situations easier.)
1. How have you responded—as a child and as an adult—to scarcity, waiting your turn, and sharing?
2. How will you explain the need for planned scarcity to the children’s parents?
3. How do you think each of the children in your care will respond to “not enough”?
Notes
Go to the next page for some frozen fun . . .