Tag Archives: families

5 skills every preschooler should learn

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I noticed an article on MSN’s home page about skills teenagers should master as they approach the age when they will leave home to go away to school or out on their own to work.  I think it is a big mistake to wait till our children are teenagers to teach them these important life skills.  Except for car maintenance, every single skill can and should be introduced and taught to our preschoolers.  I think back to my own childhood and am saddened to realize that my mother did not  expect me or my sister to help clean the house (although she did suggest it once or twice) and we were not taught to balance a checkbook or keep to a budget.  She cooked all of the meals and did not teach us to cook, plan menus or shop for ingredients. 

What are those life skills that every child should begin to master at an early age?

  • CLEANING THE HOUSE: show your child what to do and let him help…of course, if you are using toxic cleansers, perhaps you can switch to more eco-friendly (and child-friendly) green cleaning solutions.  Check out one of my earlier posts for some simple suggestions.
  • DOING THE LAUNDRY: even a toddler can help sort items for the laundry…darks and lights for example…putting dirty clothes in the hamper…folding towels…matching socks…what great opportunities for science and math experiences!
  • COOKING: little ones LOVE to help in the kitchen…measuring, mixing, learning about what ingredients go into making various meals and accompanying you to the store to discover that green bananas should be yellow with spots if we want them to taste sweet and what a ripe melon smells like.
  • MANAGING MONEY: every young child should have a piggy bank where allowances (if your family does that) and money earned or received as gifts are kept…it’s easy for kids to “want” everything…but life is about making choices and that is a part of money management that little ones can be taught…if Johnny wants something that costs $1.00 and he only has 50 cents in his piggy bank, he will have to “earn” the rest or wait until he has enough by saving allowance or gift money.  Older children should learn to balance a checkbook!
  • MAKING APPOINTMENTS AND MANAGING A DAILY SCHEDULE: you can make a chart that shows the daily schedule…breakfast time, lunch time, doctor’s appt, playdate, bedtime…use pictures cut from magazines to help your child identify what is happening during the day…young children feel less stressed when they know what to expect and what is expected from them…for children who have trouble settling down and getting ready for bed, this might be a life-saver!

So, don’t wait to start teaching your child these important life skills…begin when he is a preschooler and life may be much smoother in your home as your child grows up.  He or she will definitely thank you…self-sufficiency and mastering tasks and skills are cornerstones in the foundation of high self-esteem.

Your preschooler needs a bucket list

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Several years ago, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson starred in a movie called “The Bucket List” which told the tale of two older gentlemen who decided that before they died, there were a number of things they wanted to do.   Many people, as they get older, begin to think about the things they never got around to doing, but wish they had.  In fact, that’s one of the reasons I was thrilled when I visited my son in Chicago and he told me he had arranged for us to go skydiving.  I had an awesome experience and I was able to cross one more item off my bucket list. http://bit.ly/b8By2X If you click on this link, you’ll be able to share that exciting ride with me!

There are many things that young children need to experience as well.  I think there are some basic things that every preschooler should have the opportunity to do, although your family may want to add to the list or subtract from it, based on your individual situation.

So, here is my bucket list for a preschooler:

  • Hear the words, I LOVE YOU, every day!
  • Be shown by parents and other adults that he/she is loved and valued!
  • Be encouraged to master tasks and skills.
  • Be allowed to express his/her feelings, whether positive or negative.
  • Go to a zoo.
  • Jump in puddles after a rainstorm.
  • Play in the mud and get dirty.
  • Use art supplies (paints, crayons, clay, etc.) to express creativity.
  • Get a library card (as soon as your local library allows…go to the library on a regular basis.
  • Feel safe at home and in school, daycare or anywhere.
  • Be read a story (or two or more) on a daily basis.

As Alecia Devantier says in 101 THINGS EVERY KID SHOULD DO GROWING UP, “Childhood is a magical time of newfound joys and enriching experience.  The gifts our children are given today will last a lifetime.”

What’s on your child’s bucket list?

Why I LOVED the start of school

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I know that many parents are anxious about their child starting school.  I’ve addressed that in previous posts as well as how to help a child who is anxious about going to school.  I began thinking about how I felt when my children started school: EXCITED, EAGER and HAPPY, and how my children felt about going to school: as far as I know they were EXCITED, EAGER, and HAPPY. And, even though it was a very LONG time ago, I can still remember how EXCITED, EAGER, and HAPPY I was when I started school.

So what did my mother do all those years ago to help me and my sister look forward to going to school with eager anticipation?  I know that I tried to copy her winning formula when it came time to send my own children to school. 

  • My mother had a matter-of-fact, upbeat and positive attitude about us going to school.  I never heard her say anything negative about the school or our teachers.  Children are so very sensitive to our emotions…if we are tense and anxious about something, they probably will be also.
  • We went to a neighborhood school, so we knew many of the children in our classes.  Try to make sure that your child has visited the school before the first day…you can also try to connect with other parents of his classmates and arrange playdates so that your child will feel more comfortable with the other children.
  • We got a new pair of SCHOOL shoes and a new outfit to wear on the first day.  And, when we got home from school each day, we took off our school clothes and put on play clothes.  Somehow, that made “school” a very special place.  Encourage your child to lay out his clothes the night before each school day…this will help lessen the last-minute rush in the morning.
  • My mother encouraged us to bring friends home after school (she was a stay-at-home mom…as were most moms in those days).  Whether you have a career or not, try to set aside some time, perhaps on the weekend, to enable your child to get together with some of her classmates.  Maybe you can form a group with several parents and alternate having a little monthly party to celebrate one of the children’s birthdays, a holiday or whatever you wish.
  • She loved hearing about our day at school…she was a great listener…what we did was important to her and she was happy to help us with homework or studying.  In the early grades, I can remember sitting at the kitchen table and having her help me cut and glue magazine pictures.  When I was in high school (and even in my college years), I can remember sitting on the floor at her feet, pad of paper and pen in hand, asking her, “Mom, how can I start this paper?”…and she would throw out several ideas and off I would go, scribbling like a maniac.  Often, I would wind up changing the beginning that she had suggested, but her encouragement and willingness to help gave me the courage to trust my own inspiration and creativity.  Try to be there for your child…always be ready to listen.
  • As the school year progressed, my parents attended as many school functions as they could, whether it was a meeting with the teacher or a play we were in.  This showed me that what happened at school was important to my parents, and therefore, to me.  Do your best to fit school functions into your schedule…if you are not able to attend an event, make sure there is someone else there to represent you so that your child doesn’t feel you don’t care…because then he might not either.

So why did I love the start of school: I believed my parents loved it also, I had new clothes and new shiny shoes, I was going to spend the day with friends, I knew my parents loved me, and I felt that school (and learning) was IMPORTANT.  When my children were ready to attend school, I tried to recreate what my mother had done for me.  And I hope that my children will do the same for their children.