Every parent may have a unique and personal way of raising their kids, but the one thing they all have in common is in the gentleness of the approach. Parents don’t want to put their kids in stressful situations, and as such, try to provide them with everything they might need. However, this can become tricky once the child hits the school age. As early as the age of five, your child would be spending a large portion of their day at school. Understandably, this huge shift in their life can be quite a stressful experience. Some parents consider postponing sending their child to school, preferring to wait until they are more ready. While that is a reasonable option, preparing your toddler for school is one of the best things you can do. Here’s how you can do so:
Improve Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills or the ability to use fingers in doing different tasks have already developed when your child hits the school age, but they still don’t know how to properly utilise it to benefit them at school. Help improve your toddler’s fine motor skills by engaging them in activities that they might encounter at school such as cutting with scissors or pasting magazine photos with glue. Lego building, drawing, tearing paper and other activities they enjoy during playtime can also help in preparing a child for school.
Teach Them Independence
Tasks as simple as tying their shoes or zipping up their coat themselves can give toddlers a great sense of pride. This can help build their self-esteem in the long run, so when they finally attend school, they would have the confidence to participate and grow to their full potential. Other activities that you can trust your toddler with include cleaning up their toys, completing puzzles and getting dressed.
Help Develop Their Social Skills
After having lived their entire life mainly interacting only with the members of the household, being thrust into an unknown environment without a friendly face can be daunting for your child. If you have a toddler entering to school soon, it’s important to develop their social skills. Playing with a friend or two will help, but the range of interactions they can have are limited. Schedule play time with about 12 to 25 children to allow them to practice their social skills and learn how to cope in a group without special attention.
Education is an important part of child care
, and at Creative Childcare
, we make sure that your children are taught in a safe environment where they can freely express their thoughts. We understand how difficult first days can be, but we go to great lengths to ensure your child feels right at home.