Preschool Tips For Parents: Raising Your Young Child

Preschool years are considered transformational years when our children learn not only their first words or nursery rhymes, but also a time when the door of opportunity opens to their independence, social interaction, and building trusting relationships.

A UNESCO article on “Why early childhood care and education matters” says that “The period from birth to eight years old is one of remarkable brain development for children and represents a crucial window of opportunity for education. When children are healthy, safe and learning well in their early years, they are better able to reach their full developmental potential as adults and participate effectively in economic, social, and civic life.”

That said, it is crucial for parents to support and understand our preschoolers in their formative years.

Core concepts in early development

According to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, early development has three core concepts.

1. Experiences build brain architecture

Genes and experiences shape the quality of brain architecture. The first years of life are when the brain’s ability to reorganize and adapt (or be molded) is in its optimal form and this ability decreases with age.

2. “Serve and return” interaction shapes brain circuitry

Young children are believed to naturally initiate interaction and adults tend to respond with the same behavior or gesture. The back-and-forth process is essential to how a brain is wired during the early years.

3. Toxic stress derails healthy development

Toxic stress, in the absence of protective adult support, “caused by extreme poverty, neglect, abuse, or severe maternal depression can weaken the architecture of the developing brain, with long-term consequences for learning, behavior, and both physical and mental health.”

What can we do to support the development of preschoolers?

Now that we know that experiences, interaction, and toxic stress affect our preschoolers’ cognitive development, learning ability, and behavior, including both physical and mental health, it is crucial to support their growth in the best ways possible.

Having to deal with preschoolers is not all fun and games. There are days of meltdowns and tantrums and all we can hope for is to be the kind of parents they need. Healthline media website, Psychcentral, summarizes helpful tips for parents in parenting preschoolers:

1. Set limits and be consistent with rules.

Consistency is key when dealing with preschoolers. When a limit or rule is set, it is important to enforce the rule the same way each time your child crosses the line. Children at this age often test the limits or challenge authority out of curiosity, so reinforce rules with consistency and do not bend the rules when they cause trouble. Inconsistency breeds instability.

2. Practice routines.

For preschoolers, routines make their day-to-day predictable and secure, and they thrive on the rhythm of their schedule. Try to incorporate chores in their routine because preschoolers are naturally eager helpers and it is said that if you establish a pattern, this may be well carried over to their teenage years. In addition, doing chores makes them more independent and accountable.

Also Read: ‘Give Them Chores’: Plus 9 Other Tips To Raise Independent Preschoolers

3. Respect challenging transitions.

Preschoolers typically do not want to stop playing in exchange for eating or going to bed. In this regard, empathy, patience, and compassion can help them move with ease through the transition.

4. Praise good behavior

Remember to be very descriptive when you praise good behavior so your preschooler knows exactly what he/she did right. It is believed that when they hear praise and they like what they hear, they will keep on doing what needs to elicit that kind of response from you again.

For example, avoid saying "Good job!" to everything she does correctly. You can say, "Look, you finished all the food on your plate!" or "Great job for turning off the tablet when I asked you to."

5. Offer choices.

Let them feel in charge by making small choices that won’t cause negative consequences like deciding which snack to bring to school: sandwich or fruit, or choosing what to wear: blue or red shirt, and the like.

6. Validate their feelings

Take time to notice your preschoolers’ feelings, hear them out, and validate their emotions. By validating their emotional experience, you are providing context to the feelings that they have at this age that sometimes are confusing and cannot even name.

7. Limit screen time

A 2022 study shows that excessive screen time can affect sleep, cognitive development, behavior, and emotional well-being.

8. Encourage physical play outdoors

According to a 2021 study, outdoor play and access to nature can have a positive effect to your preschooler’s health and sleeping habits.

What are the kinds of play that support learning in preschoolers?

According to Child Mind Institute, different types of play help to support different areas of your preschooler’s development:

Constructive Play

blocks, Magna-Tiles, Legos, fort-building, coloring and crafts

Physical Play

running, skipping, hide and seek, Simon Says, freeze dance

Pretend Play

dress-up, dolls, kitchen, action figures, modified “charades” (for example, have your child act like an animal and you guess what they are)

Sensory Play

sand table, water play, finger painting, play dough, baking bread

Music Play

listening to music and nursery rhymes, playing musical instruments, singing

Outdoor Play

nature walk, picking flowers, “I spy” outside

Storytime

read aloud and quiet time with books

Related Read: Out Of Ideas? Here Are 15 Preschool Activities You Can Do At Home With Materials You Already Have

The legacy we leave behind

We are already aware that parenting a child is not a “one size fits all” concept. You know your child best and you know the values that you want to instill in their young minds. At the end of the day, we all want our children to set the standard for our future generation as we ensure a solid foundation during their formative years.