Respecting boundaries and personal property program

My borders are my own

Age group: 3 to 6 years

Program duration: 6 weeks

Session duration: 20 to 30 minutes

Program logo

"My body is my own, my things are my own, and I respect the bodies and things of others."

The overall goal of the program

Enabling the child to understand and protect his physical, psychological and material boundaries, and teaching him to respect the boundaries of others and their property; which contributes to building a safe, confident and responsible personality.

Detailed objectives

First: Cognitive objectives

The program aims to enable the child to:

• Understanding the concept of "my body is my own".
• Identifying the private areas of his body.
• Distinguishing between:
• My personal belongings.
• Other people's property.
• Public and shared property.
• Learn the rule of how to behave when faced with a situation that causes him distress or discomfort:

"Say no – walk away – tell a trusted adult."

Second: Skill-based objectives

During the program, the child will be trained to:

• Asking for permission and authorization before using other people's property.
• Say "no" politely and confidently when refusing any touching or behavior that you do not want.
• Expressing his discomfort clearly.
• Respecting his own personal space and that of others.
• Waiting for your turn and practicing the skill of taking turns.
• Keeping his personal belongings safe.
• Use the center's property in a proper and responsible manner.

Third: Affective and value-based objectives

The program helps the child to:

• Feeling safe and confident about his body.
• Realizing that he has the right to express his refusal when he feels uncomfortable.
• He bears the responsibility of maintaining his own belongings and those of the center.
• Respect other people's bodies, feelings, and possessions.
• Developing the concept of empathy and considering the feelings of others, such as:

"How would the other person feel if you took something that belonged to him without permission?"

The main themes of the program and activities

First theme: “My body is my own” and physical boundaries

The child is taught that his body belongs to him, and that he has the right to express acceptance or rejection of touching, while also being taught how to behave and tell a trusted adult when he feels uncomfortable or unsafe.

Activities

• Explain the concept of private areas in a simple way suitable for a child's age, using the following principle:

"The areas covered by underwear are private areas."

• Training a child to ask permission before hugging, for example:

"Can I hug you?"

• Teach the child that it is their right to accept or politely refuse a hug.
• Implement the “My Own Bubble” activity by drawing a circle around the child to help him understand the concept of personal space.
• Train the child to use clear phrases, such as:
• I don't want.
• Please step back.
• This bothers me.
• I will tell my mother or my teacher.

Second axis: The concept of personal property

The child is taught the difference between:

• "This is mine."
• "This is for you."
• "This is for all of us."

Activities

• Set up a box called “My Things” to put the child’s personal belongings in.
• Using rating cards in the "Who is this for?" activity.
• Training the child on the principle:

Ask before you take.

• Apply the rule of asking permission continuously inside the classroom and during play.

Third axis: Respecting the boundaries of others

This section aims to train the child to respect other people’s bodies, feelings, possessions, and personal space.

Activities

• Teach the child that hands are used for helping, clapping, and safe play, not for hitting or pushing.
• Practice knocking before entering.
• Do not open a bag, box, or drawer belonging to someone else without their permission.
• Do not touch or hug others without their consent.
• Use polite words when you want to participate or approach.

Fourth axis: Permission and asking for permission skills

Children are trained to use clear and polite sentences, such as:

• "Can I use your pen?"
• "Can I play with you?"
• "Can I take this game after you?"
• "May I?"

The child also learns polite ways of saying no, such as:

• "Thank you, I don't want to."
• "No, this bothers me."
• "I'd rather not share this now."

Activities

• Role-playing about how to ask for and request permission.
• Representing situations that demonstrate how to accept or refuse politely.
• Read the story "The Rabbit Who Didn't Ask Permission," and discuss the consequences of his actions and the feelings of the other characters.

Fifth axis: The concept of public ownership

The child is taught that the center's toys, facilities and contents belong to everyone, and that maintaining them is a shared responsibility.

Activities

• Repeating the phrase:

"These are all our toys, and we all take care of them."

• Agree with the children on rules for using and maintaining the toys.
• Train children to put toys back in their place after they are finished.
• Applying the rule:

"My turn, then yours."

• Practice taking turns using the swing, toys, and shared equipment.

Daily training and routine

The program's concepts are continuously reinforced through:

• The application is used during classes and activities.
• Training during free play times.
• Reminding the child of the rules of asking permission and respecting boundaries.
• Providing immediate guidance when any encroachment occurs on other people's property or personal space.
• Reinforce positive behavior when a child asks for permission or waits their turn.
• Using stories and everyday situations to reinforce concepts.

Weekly assessment

The child's development is monitored weekly through a range of indicators, including:

• Did you ask for permission before using other people's property?
• Did he protect his personal belongings?
• Did he put the tools and toys back in their place?
• Did he share his belongings in an organized manner and willingly?
• Has he begun to understand and respect the boundaries of others?
• Did he respect the personal space of his colleagues?
• Was he able to express his refusal in a clear and polite manner?
• Did he wait his turn during play and activities?
• Did he tell a trusted adult when he experienced a situation that upset him?