Tips And Advice
Your Child - 1-5 Years
This is the stage where your child’s personality and will are much more in evidence. Your child is no longer a baby – you may be relieved and you may also be sad.
Toddlers can be great fun – and exhausting. It might seem like they are testing you all the time. Actually they are learning about the world and discovering what they can do – and what they cannot do. Make sure you have time to recharge your batteries and that you spend time with your partner, if you have one. If you are on your own, try to find ways you can spend some time with adults, so that you get some breaks from your child.
To read more on children aged 1 – 5 years click on the links below:
Toddler tips
For a toddler, supermarkets can be exciting places. But the frustration of not being allowed to reach out and touch all those colourful things can lead to emotional overload. Give him or her a toy or something to hold while you go round.
- Try to avoid items you do not want them to have, like sweets and biscuits
- To feel strong and calm you may need to work at managing your own stress levels. Make sure you give yourself time to take a break and relax sometimes: burning some oils or incense; taking a nice pampering bath or sitting down with a cuppa to watch your favourite TV programme will give you a chance to recharge batteries
- Look out for what they may have eaten. Too many sugary foods or drinks can lead to hyperactivity in children
- Have a snack or drink ready to hand. They may genuinely be hungry or thirsty
- Shopping can be stressful for a parent at the best of times. Check out your own stress levels and try to go shopping when you are feeling strong and calm (and have eaten something yourself)
- Get the children involved. It may take a little longer but you could get them involved in counting fruit and vegetables into bags. This might be more useful with pre-school children. As a bonus it will help them with their learning too
- Not giving in to a toddler's demands, and remaining calm, can help to prevent temper tantrums in the future
- You can try counting to ten, either to yourself or with your child in a calm, clear voice. This may give you an opportunity to cool down and it may give your child a signal that their behaviour is not acceptable, as well as a chance for them to calm down too
- You keeping calm will show your child that anger can be managed
- Try to avoid worrying what other shoppers think of you and your child
- Most people who have had children will understand what you're going through
- If possible find a quieter place to go in the supermarket, away from stares, so you can talk to your child
- Acknowledge your child's feelings - anger can be frightening
- Tantrums can happen anywhere at anytime but if the supermarket is a particular trigger for you and your child, you see if you could leave your child with a friend or family member and go alone!
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Pre-School Children
The young infant is learning and developing quickly. They are playing, learning and experimenting. They are also beginning to get a sense of their own identity and how they may be different from others, such as noticing boys and girls.
Organised activities help develop their learning in an informal setting. In turn, this is preparing them for more formal school life. Cultural identity is important. Children need to have people around them that they can identify with and who have an understanding of their cultural and ethnic background.
How do young children learn?
Children learn through all their senses by:
- tasting, touching, seeing, hearing and smelling
- watching and copying people close to them they learn language and behaviour
- playing
Learning through play
Play is one of the main ways in which children learn. It helps to build self worth by giving a child a sense of his or her own abilities and to feel good about themselves.
Because it is fun, children often become very absorbed in what they are doing. In turn, this helps them develop the ability to concentrate. Providing children with a range of playthings will help them learn in a number of ways:
- Sand and water play can be an early introduction to science and maths, e.g. learning that water is fluid, not solid, and that it can be measured in different sized containers
- Playing with dough, drawing and painting pictures, dressing up and playing with dolls can encourage creativity, imagination and expression of feelings
- Building blocks, jigsaws and shape sorters can help with recognising different shapes and sizes, putting things in order and developing logical thought
- Playing ball games, dancing, running, climbing all help to develop body movement, strength, flexibility and co-ordination
- Games help with turn taking, sharing and mixing with others
- Singing, playing simple music instruments help to develop rhythm, listening and hearing
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Helping Your Child Learn Every Day
Young children are learning about life, their family and their home, all the time. They are curious about everything and full of questions and ideas. You can see how they explore and learn by just watching them play. There is a lot you can do to make this curiosity turn into the kind of learning which will help your children.
Research has shown that when a parent helps their child to learn and understand through everyday life in the home, that child will get the most out of education. Lots of the things you do probably automatically help with this learning process - the following are just a few examples.
Singing together
Rhymes help children to see how letters and sounds have a pattern. The repetition of words in songs – whether pop songs or traditional nursery rhymes – helps your child to remember and explore new words as well as build listening and hearing skills.
Reading together
Children from a very early age love words and languages. There are many first books which you can use to share with your child the fun of stories. Reading aloud from an early age will not only be enjoyed by your child, you too will appreciate this quiet time together.
Try and get your child to choose a book. Do not worry if your child wants to hear the same story over and over as it is a way for them to recognise words and to think about reading and learning.
Early reading
There is no point in pushing a child to read from an early age – every child will learn at their own pace. But by:
- Pointing at words when you are reading together with your three to four year old
- Making the sounds of the letters that make up that word; and
- Turning the whole thing into a game
You will be helping your child to get involved in reading. You can ask them if they remember a word in a story book and praise them if they get it right. But do not push it; you do not want to put them off reading all together by being too demanding
Making up stories
Encourage your child to make up stories about a favourite toy, pet or family member. This will help them to understand the power of words and encourage reading. Try to link drawing pictures to their story to make this even more creative.
Counting and numbers
Simple things like counting the stairs together as you go up to bed or counting the number of red cars you see on a journey, will contribute to your child’s understanding of numbers. Sorting out things at home or doing early puzzles will also contribute to your child’s learning.
Playing games
Some of the games that you probably played when you were a child are as enjoyable as ever and an important way for your child to learn. 'I Spy' makes children learn about words starting with the same letter and helps them notice things all round them. Playing word games and making a game out of pointing out new things in a shop or on holiday are all about your child’s learning development.
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