Trösta eller tysta? : En essä om barns rätt till sina känslor

Sammanfattning: This essay is based on two selfexperienced situations. I examine my role as a preschool educationalist where children are prevented from expressing their emotions freely. The essay opens with a description of a middaysnack and the other story tells about a girl who is not allowed to decide herself when her sadness ends. The purpose of my examination is to problematize and reflect around the educationalists and my own encountering of the children in my stories. What does it mean to be a good educationalist when encountering children who express strong feelings? Which norms are created in the group of children when the individuals consistently are met by a silencing behaviour when in need of comforting? The situations themselves are not unique, they appear in different settings  relatively often. I will also reflect on my own practical knowledge in relation to the stories as well as set my thoughts against the regulatory documents regarding swedish preshool. These thoughts will be examined in this essay against theories such as relation competence, children's emotional development and theories surrounding shame and norms.