Parent and Child

If you are the parent of a baby, toddler or a pre-schooler, you are aware that your child’s brain develops at an astounding rate until the age of seven. Every bit of stimulation he gets now is an investment. In spite of expensive toys and good intentions, most parents have so many other responsibilities that they soon find their child’s precious first years have sped by. Teach your child to brush his teeth and dress himself from an early age, so you’ll have more time to do interesting things together. In spite of the great advantages of playgroups and pre-schools the demands put on school beginners are so high that it’s rare for a child to be completely ready for school from day one. By preparing him for school from an early age, you can save yourself and your child a great deal of frustration. Don’t only focus on educational activities, also do ordinary things like taking walks together. Find out what your child should be mastering at his age. This will prevent you spending unnecessary time on games that are too easy, or pressuring him to perform at an unrealistically high level. Choose activities that don’t need much preparation. A three year old can concentrate for only about 10 minutes at a time, so if you have the planned activity and it takes 15 minutes to prepare, your child will lose interest. He will have more fun doing things he’s good at than those he doesn’t have a natural talent for.  Also, do not take over an activity he is doing, learn a good deal by watching children observing their own material. That’s how they have new findings out and encounters on their own.