ABSTRACT
Children who are growing up in caring and supportive families can be exhausting – their energy levels and exuberance keep adults on their toes. Those who are distressed, difficult or defiant can be very wearing indeed. They challenge not only physical energy, but also emotional energy. When this is combined with other things not going well you can lose sight, not only of the best way of handling difficulties, but also of the simple enjoyment in your job. Being with young children can be very rewarding and pleasurable – it is important you stay in touch with this and get the most out of what you do. This chapter shows how to maintain your resources so you can focus on the positive and deal with the challenging in sensitive and confident ways.
