Human beings are biologically social. Because our DNA has wired us this way, babies and young children must be connected socially in healthy and beneficial ways. The social structure of the family is crucial to early childhood development.
Humans are social animals, and social structure plays an important role in their development. The first social interaction that takes place in a baby’s life is with his family only, or his immediate family is the first social group that a child may interact with. So, what role does a family play in a child’s development? Let’s take a look at how family interaction affects child development.
Values
Value systems are important in human development. Value systems provide young children with a road map to help them navigate interactions with others. Without value systems there would be no rules or regulations for human interactions and families and communities would not be safe or sustainable.
Young children start to learn their value systems from the family members they first interact with. As children grow older, they will start to learn value systems through other outlets, but during early childhood, the child will almost exclusively interact with only family members.
It is important that the family unit presents healthy values to young children that will aid them in interacting with others in a healthy and fair way.
Social Development
Another important aspect of family interaction is the social development that children experience. Before children begin to interact with the larger world, they will first interact with their families.
During this interaction, children will learn about social development and important social concepts such as sharing, working together, helping, protecting, and more. This social interaction will help the child start to develop a secure identity in the world. When children know that they are loved and protected within their family unit, it encourages them to interact with the rest of the world from a place of confidence.
Skill Development
Many skills will develop during interaction with family. These types of skills include:
Home living skills
Creative skills
Communication skills
Sympathy
Empathy
And more
Security
A child’s sense of security will start to develop within their family interactions in early childhood. Here is where a child will learn that they are loved, and cared for and that their needs will be met. A secure child will be able to form normal, healthy social connections with others. They will be able to better regulate their emotions and learn patience while waiting for their needs to be met.
Insecurity in children often leads to a host of developmental and behavioral problems. Insecure children feel the need to always defend themselves and to seek out ways to fulfill their own needs as quickly as possible because they are not assured that caregivers will meet their needs. This can lead to a range of issues throughout life.
Often when we think of learning activities for children, we primarily think of school and traditional school lessons. However, for very young children, playtime is also an important learning time. In fact, young children learn best through play. This is why play must be an integral part of childhood education. This quick guide will explore the benefits of play in childhood development and education.
Encourages Brain Development
Play can help children develop a better understanding of the world around them. Learning new skills through play lays a foundation for brain growth. When new skills are set in the context of playtime, a child’s brain can approach the task in a more relaxed way. When children are relaxed and engaged, their brains are better prepared to receive new information and make important connections. Research has also shown that neurons in the brains of babies and children are most active during play. Crucial brain cell connections can be made during this time.
Encourages Intelligence
A study by the University of Arkansas discovered that children who are given a wide variety of toys to play with regularly have high IQ levels. Interacting with toys and other children or adults through play also helps to develop a child’s social and communication skills.
Encourages Creativity
One of the most beneficial aspects of play that can be visibly seen, though, is how playtime will spark a child’s natural creativity. When children are in a comfortable, relaxed play context, their minds open up to new possibilities. This is when a child’s imagination can grow, and problem-solving skills can develop. Presenting children with toys and games that present soft problem-solving opportunities is a great way to increase their divergent thinking and build their confidence.
Free Vs Structured Play
There are two types of play for children in their early childhood. Both types hold significant benefits for brain, social, and creative development.
Free play is playtime overseen by an adult or caregiver but not planned out or structured at all. The child or children are allowed to interact with toys, equipment, or supplies in any way they like.
Structured playtime is playtime that has been planned by a caregiver or educator. This playtime will have a specific objective in mind. For instance, a caregiver may instruct the child or children to use the toy kitchen to work together to create a meal and serve it to other children. Or a caregiver may present a child with several colored blocks and encourage them to divide the blocks according to color, shape or size.
Both types of play are necessary for early childhood education and brain development. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to use both types of play on a regular basis with young children.
Here at Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center, we believe in working with children to help them develop into the adults they will someday be. One of the things we emphasize with the kids (and their adults) right from the start is how important a role technology will play in their lives.
We want to help children understand they are entering an entirely new world in which it will be expected of them to know how to properly use technology for their own benefit. Many of the children are eager to learn about it, and we always ensure they have the tools they require.
Rules to Follow with Childhood Technology Effective Childhood Development
There are guidelines or rules all educators ought to follow when setting children up with the pieces of technology that they will ultimately use down the road.
When properly followed, these rules can be a guiding light towards a more successful adoption of these technologies. Thus, it is a good idea to look over these rules to get started.
Technology Can Be a Learning Tool
There are many people who like to throw mud at the idea that technology can be useful for anything. They would like you to believe that it is only used as a means of entertainment or even to take away from the learning process. However, that does not have to be the case at all.
When properly used, technology can aid in one’s learning. There are numerous resources on the internet that are child-friendly and will help them expand their minds and learn more about the world around them. Technology should always be leveraged in this way to help with the learning process.
Technology Can Strengthen Relationships
The use of technology to stay in touch with the outside world is another incredibly effective and useful way to think about technology as a whole. Social media is likely what first comes to mind, but it goes beyond that.
There are plenty of other ways children use technology. For one, they use technology to stay in touch with their friends, family, teachers, and more. If they decide they want to use technology in this way, it might pan out in a big way.
Technology Opens Doors to All Students
Sadly, not everyone has the same access to information and learning as everyone else. There are situations in which children are not receiving the same education as their peers simply because they don’t have the same resources.
When that is the case, it is a tragedy we should be doing something about. Technology can help open doors of opportunity that have been closed to certain students in the past. In this way, it should be celebrated.
It is best to think of all the things technology can do and avoid painting all technology into one box or another. The truth is, there are a lot of ways to view technology, and it can be a complex topic that is worthy of exploration.
There are many benefits of early childhood education. As a parent, you should consider staying ahead to help with your child’s development. A simple way to do this is by having your child participate in these programs. These programs are designed to help children develop socially and cognitively. They are geared toward children under the age of five.
How Does Early Childhood Education Benefit My Child?
Here are some benefits of early childhood education childhood development programs.
Boosts Socialization Skills
One of the biggest benefits of early childhood development is that it helps your child develop their socialization skills. Instead of children sitting around at home during the day, they can experience being around other children and even adults that don’t live in their households. This can even help your child develop self-confidence and defeat their shyness. Developing socialization skills at an early age helps children have better social lives later on in life.
Higher Success Rates
Children who participate in early childhood development programs will more than likely have a greater chance of being successful through their teen and adult years. These children are also likelier to complete high school and more than likely to graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree. They face a reduced chance of failing classes.
Enables Parents To Have More Flexibility
Parents can gain more freedom when they enroll their children in early childhood development programs. It is challenging for parents to even work full-time jobs or participate in other things when they are taking care of a child full-time. Early childhood programs allow for a safe space to leave your child where they can also benefit from learning skills.
Teaches Your Children Respect
It is important that your child learns about respect from an early age. This is what early childhood programs can do. It helps them learn what respect is by being in a different environment around different people. Preschool is the perfect place for children to learn respect because they are taught naturally.
Screens for Behavioral and Health Issues
Not only do early childhood programs screen for behavioral issues in children, but they also detect health issues. Children should meet certain milestones as they grow. If they are not met, it may be hard for parents to even detect them. But, early childhood teachers are educated on various developmental milestones that children should meet depending on their age. They are trained to spot these milestones, ensuring they have been met. Teachers are also taught to screen children to ensure they successfully meet these milestones.
Teaches Children Patience
Your patience may be tested daily. That is a part of life. But what better way is there than to learn how to work through it when your patience is being tested? Children can learn about patience and develop it through early childhood programs. They are taught to wait for their turn and share with other kids. They are taught how to take turns during game play, etc.
Parents, guardians, and teachers all understand the importance of activity and engagement in the development of our youth. Today, children face a new challenge; technology. Namely, that means reducing screen time for kids. Here is a look at a few good ways of how to reduce screen time for children and keep them on track to live a healthy and balanced life.
People are creatures of habit. Creating a regular playtime for our kids that involves non-electronic activity will help them learn healthy habits. That might look like an hour with their favorite toys or reading and coloring, but keep it engaging. If your child is doing something they like, they are going to be more easily inclined to develop natural habits.
Get Up and Get Out
In today’s fitness-conscious world, the benefits of getting active are no longer a secret to anyone. That also means this is a great opportunity for kids and parents to get active.
A walk through your local park or perhaps a stroll through the historic downtown of a local city can be the adventure of the day. Biking or nature walks are also great ideas to get kids active with their mom and dad. This is a good way of reducing screen time for kids and adults.
Game Night
While it seems that virtually every game is available online, there is nothing like a game night with siblings or the family. Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, and Pictionary are not the same games when played online.
Set aside one night (or maybe two if everyone loves it) a week for game night. The banter, conversation, and moments experienced will provide healthy habits and memories for a lifetime.
Reducing Screen Time for Kids
There are many ways of how to reduce screen time for children. The answer to that question is also only limited by your imagination. For many parents, having children help with cooking or cleaning is an effective way of reducing screen time for kids. Additionally, it is a proven way to teach children values and to help them stay active.
Reducing screen time for kids today means more than keeping them from watching too much television. In fact, television is often the least likely suspect in our world of mobile technology. Keeping our kids active, engaged, and living a life outside of their screens isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it.
