As the parent of a young child, you may be wondering what to look for when it comes to preschool readiness. Deciding exactly when to begin preschool can be a long and difficult process. You need to take many factors into consideration before taking the step of having your little one take that big step to preschool. If you’re asking, “What are signs that my kid is ready for preschool?” then read on.
Your child thrives in routine
Once your child is at the point that they understand and follow routines, they may be ready for preschool. Childcare centers almost always have a schedule that keeps the kids on track. This often includes having a snack at the same time each day, a specific time for play, story time, quiet time and a lesson.
As a parent, you can help your child’s preschool readiness by instituting morning and bedtime routines. This will not only help get them ready for preschool but will also help them get moving in the morning—which can sometimes be a challenge.
Your child is okay with being separated
One key aspect of knowing whether your child is ready for preschool is determining whether they can spend time away from you. Some level of separation anxiety is to be expected with all children going to school for the first time.
You can prepare your child by leaving them with a trusted family member or friend for a couple of hours to test their separation anxiety. Then, when it’s time to go to preschool, you may want to leave your child with a transitional object like a toy from home.
Your child enjoys interacting with other children
Once your child is showing an interest in other kids, they may be ready for preschool. This means that they may be craving more social interaction with their peers. At preschool, they’ll learn valuable social skills like how to share, take turns and speak politely.
Your child has enough stamina for the school day
If your child is napping more than once a day, they may not be ready for preschool. But once they’ve dropped that morning nap, this shows that they’ll have enough staying power to last the day without a meltdown. Preschools are often required to offer a nap time or quiet time where your child will be able to rest.
Preschool can be such a rewarding experience for children. They build those crucial social and emotional skills that will serve them the rest of their lives. And through play, art and exploration, their minds develop at an incredibly rapid rate.
We hope this guide to preschool readiness has addressed some of your questions. Since 2017, Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center has been a leading childcare and learning center. Our dedicated team specializes in providing a variety of services including daily nondenominational Christian education, as well as before-care and aftercare services.
We are a family-owned and -operated business offering Christian education and quality services. Contact us for more information and to learn more about how we can help your child.
Having quality time with your child is a good reminder of why you decided to have children in the first place. These are the moments when you bond with your child—and they really can’t be replaced by anything else. It’s when you allow the child’s interests to take the lead, and you support what they want to do. Scheduling out quality time is a great idea so you don’t miss these special moments with your child.
That said, it can sometimes feel hard to find fun things to do with your kids when you feel like all your usual favorites have been exhausted. Read on to find out about the best quality-time activities.
Take a walk together
These days, most families pile into the car to go to essentially any activity. But while you might gain a bit of time, you actually lose out on bonding moments with your child. The next time they want to go to a neighborhood park or to a friend’s house, consider walking there instead. It’s sure to slow down the pace of your life, and it’s a great way to see what your kid notices in the environment around them.
Have dinner together
It’s a simple but tried-and-true way to have family time. With adults—and many kids—constantly using technology, sitting down to eat dinner together each night is a surefire way to spark conversations. To make it more fun, you can do a weekly, themed dinner around foods your kids enjoy like taco night or pizza night. Getting the kids involved in meal prep will make them more invested and provide additional quality-time opportunities.
Pretend play
For preschoolers, pretend play is a way of life. You may tire of playing the same game over and over again, where you’re chasing your child across the house or using blocks to build a castle that will quickly be knocked over. But remember: Pretty soon, that sweet, little child will be a teenager who will want nothing to do with you. Take the time to appreciate this quality time with your child while you still have this close relationship.
Take a pajama walk
Every parent of a young child dreads that bit of time right before bed. One way to calm your child down while providing some bonding time is to take a short walk. Get them all ready for bed—teeth brushed, PJs on—and take them around the neighborhood for a little stroll. It’ll give you a chance to have some mellow time together while putting them in a relaxed mood for sleep.
We hope this guide to fun things to do with kids has been helpful. If you’re looking for supportive childcare, turn to Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center. Our Christian childcare center and preschool fosters a welcoming atmosphere for all students regardless of background. Let us become part of your family and teach your child the life skills they need to grow and thrive. Contact us right now to learn more about how we can help your child.
As with so many things in parenting, it’s difficult to tell how your child will react the first time you drop them off at day care. Some kids may be perfectly fine and will jump right in to this new environment. Others may experience separation anxiety to varying levels. This ranges from brief feelings of sadness when you leave to full-on meltdowns. Luckily, there are steps you can take for adjusting to day care.
Prepare your child for the big day
Whenever possible, it’s best to get your child accustomed to the new space before their first day of school. Schedule an appointment to have them meet their teachers and other students. Give them time to explore their new classroom, and tell them all about the fun activities they will get to take part in.
Doing a tour of the school will also give you the chance to speak to the teachers and staff about your child’s particular needs. If your child does suffer from separation anxiety, this is a good time to discuss this with their teacher.
Create drop-off routines
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it bears repeating: Children are creatures of habit. As much as possible, create a morning routine that will take them step by step to day care. This may include doing things in a specific order, like eating breakfast, then brushing their teeth, getting dressed and getting in the car.
Keep the goodbye at the childcare center brief; while it may be difficult to say goodbye, often separation anxiety worsens if you hang around. You do want to hug and kiss your child before you go (don’t lie and say, “I’ll be right back”), but keep it quick and don’t drag it out.
Get them excited
Before you send them off, talk with your child about what their day will be like at the childcare center. There should be quite a number of activities for them to be excited about, from arts and crafts projects to playing with other children outside. There are also plenty of books about what it’s like to be away from parents that may be comforting to your little one as well.
Make it work
Let’s say you’ve taken your child in for their first day, and it didn’t go well. Don’t give up. The fact is that you’ll have to do this at some point. Work with the childcare team on ways to ease the transition—and remember that these things take time. Your child will adapt to the new schedule and routine in the coming weeks.
We know it can be tough for you and your child adjusting to day care. At Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center, our dedicated team is here to help your child feel safe and comfortable. We provide a welcoming learning environment for children of all skill levels and abilities. As a Christian childcare center and preschool, we follow Biblical principles in everything we do. Give us a call right now to learn more and set up a visit.
Every parent has been there: you need to leave the house at a specific time for a specific thing. It doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s taking the child to a doctor’s appointment in Greenwood, IN or out for ice cream—your toddler will find a way to make this difficult. Maybe they will do everything they need to do but will not put on their shoes. You’re left thinking, “Don’t you want the ice cream? How is this the thing that’s stopping us?”
This is when it’s helpful to figure out how to know what toddlers are thinking. The fact is that by getting into your toddler’s point of view, you can better empathize with them and—just maybe—get them out the door without a half-hour meltdown.
Your and your child’s stress levels
One reason it may be so difficult to get your child out in a timely manner is that you’re worried about being late. It’s easy to assume that, if the child isn’t doing what you asked, the blame rests with them. But oftentimes, children are responding to your mood. If you want to hustle and get going quickly, you’re likely to be anxious—which could lead to your child being anxious as well.
One potential solution is to simply begin getting ready far, far earlier than you need to. Take things step by step—first, brush the toddler’s teeth, then help them with their clothes, etc.—and never assume they’re going to do any of it quickly.
Set expectations
Golfers always say the number one thing you can do to improve is to keep your head down when you take a swing, but it’s one of those things that’s easier said than done.
The same goes for the old parenting mantra of “setting expectations.” Everyone knows to do it, but remembering to follow through and do it well is another thing. If, for example, you’re going to a restaurant, don’t assume your child knows how to behave in this situation.
Be specific about how the child will need to stay seated and won’t be able to dump the sugar packets all over the table. And, of course, let them know that if everything goes well, they’ll get yummy food!
Mix it up
Let’s say your day is going poorly. Your kid’s bouncing off the walls and seems determined to make everything difficult. This is when you need to try new things. It’s time to play a new game, read a new book or take the child outside. It’s amazing how simple novelty can flip a child’s mood.
Are you looking for quality childcare in Greenwood, IN? Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center is the premier Biblically-based early childhood learning center in the area. Our supportive and dedicated team is comprised of members of the community who provide a safe and loving space for your child to thrive in, not to mention possess a keen understanding of a toddler’s point of view. We offer a welcoming atmosphere for children from all backgrounds. Contact us today to learn more and start the registration process for your child!
Let’s start with the simple answer: no, you cannot reason with toddlers. Nevertheless, as a parent, it’s very tempting to try. You calmly explain why they can’t eat a dessert at seven in the morning, or why they can’t go to grandma’s house in Greenwood, IN right this instant. Inevitably, your child doesn’t care about your reasoning and throws a temper tantrum.
But while the answer to “can a toddler be reasoned with?” is “no,” you can do some things to avoid a battle of wills with your toddler (which you will lose!). Let’s look at why reasoning with toddlers is something to avoid and some strategies you can use instead.
Toddlers don’t always respond to logic
Between the ages of two and three years old, children can begin to make logical connections. They’re beginning to understand how the world works. However, their grasp on logic is very tenuous. Toddlers also have minimal ability to manage their emotions, which will always trump logic.
Take the example of a child who wants to go to the park right now, this very instant. You might say, “I’m cooking dinner now. We can go to the park after dinner.” Cue the crying and screaming child who wants to go now and simply cannot understand that the near future is a thing that exists.
Your first instinct may be to reiterate your very sensible point that you need to eat dinner first before you go to the park. You may even be tempted to provide additional arguments about how eating healthily will help your child grow big and strong, but you should resist that temptation and…
Validate your child’s feelings
You might incidentally minimize the child’s feelings by saying something like, “What are you crying for? I didn’t say ‘no.’ We’re still going to the park, just later.” Instead, allow the child to express their emotions. Toddlers have oh so many feelings, and telling them to bottle those feelings up can backfire.
Resist bargaining, bribing and backing down
In this example, you might simply back down and take the child to the park, or you might promise them dessert to distract them from their frustration. While no one is perfect and you might cave from time to time, these strategies aren’t going to help your child’s development.
It’s important to stick to what you’ve said. The child doesn’t need to understand why they can’t go to the park at the moment, but they do need to understand that you mean what you say and that they can’t always get what they want.
We hope this guide to how to reason with toddlers has been helpful. When you’re looking for warm, supportive childcare in Greenwood, IN, turn to Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center. Since 2017, we have provided a variety of services, including daily non-denominational Christian education, before care and aftercare services. As a family owned and operated business, we value providing Christian education and quality childcare. Contact us for more information or come check out our facilities today!
