Dilemma

Dilemma
by Debra Mayer

Aman’s mother has asked that you not allow her four-year-old son to nap in the afternoon. She says, “Whenever he naps, he stays up to 10:00 at night. I have to get up at 5:00 in the morning to go to work. I am not getting enough sleep.” Along with the rest of the children, Aman takes a 1-hour nap almost every day. He seems to need it in order to stay in good spirits in the afternoon.

What do you do?

What is your first reaction? Is mom being selfish because she is too tired in the morning? How will poor Aman handle a missed nap? What will be the impact on the other children if he is grouchier in the afternoons? How will staff get their afternoon breaks if other parents start requesting that their kids not nap either?

Look at the Code of Ethics principles. Several seem to be in conflict here.
For example,

Child care practitioners promote the health and well-being of all children.
Child care practitioners work in partnership with parents, recognizing that parents have primary responsibility for the care of their children, valuing their commitment to the children and supporting them in meeting their responsibilities to their children.

Which one has primacy for you? Why?

If you have begun your ethical journey, then you know that a Code of Ethics cannot solve problems. However, it can provide the basis for you to think through the issues and to clarify what seems to be the best choice/decision to take. Carefully think through the likely consequences of giving priority to a particular principle. By evaluating the consequences, it may become clear which principle ought to be given more weight. The preferred action should be the one which produces the least amount of avoidable harm.

These four steps should help you reach an acceptable decision:

identify all the stakeholders
brainstorm what might happen to each of the parties involved; e.g., Mom loses her job because she keeps dozing off at her work station
identify the issue for each stakeholder
brainstorm solutions without evaluating them (refer to the Code of Ethics for guidance in generating acceptable solutions).

For example, what if you slowly weaned Aman from his nap, by waking him five minutes earlier until he just has a brief rest time and then has quiet activities. Would this work for mom and child? What about the rest of the children? Will they be starting kindergarten in a few months and giving up their naps soon? Could nap time start earlier so that Aman and the other children are getting sleepy in the evenings at 8:00 pm instead of 10:00 pm.

What do you think? What does the best choice look like to you for this situation?

There are many ways to resolve ethical dilemmas. Use the Code of Ethics principles. Discussion with others is more likely to result in a more thorough examination of the issues. Try setting aside 15 minutes at a staff meeting. Form an email discussion group. Prepare an assignment for students. These are a few suggestions for how you can practice ethical problem-solving.

This ethical dilemma was written by Debra Mayer and appeared in March 1999 Bridges. It was adapted and reprinted with the permission of the Manitoba Child Care Association. The MCCA Ethics Committee can be reached at 364 McGregor Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2W 4X3. Phone (204) 586-8587; fax (204) 589-5613. For copies of Partners in Quality: Tools for Practitioners in Child Care Settings, please contact the CCCF.

Interaction, Vol. 14, No. 4, Winter 2001, p. 21-22.