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The Whole Child, Issue #96 What Must You Do?
August 17, 2015

Read this newsletter online here: The Whole Child Issue #96

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What Should You Do with Your Preschoolers?

Almost daily I get questions from moms asking what they should do with their little ones and my answer is just about always the same.

My website at www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com is jam-packed with all sorts of preschool activities you can do with your children if you want to, but instead of focusing on what YOU should do, lets rather look at what little kids NEED.

The assumption behind this question. “What must I do?” is that children won't learn or develop unless the mother does all the 'right' things…but children learn an incredible amount without much deliberate teaching on the part of their parents – they learn to walk and to talk, some even master two or three languages without a formal curriculum!

In a home like yours, where you either have a pc or a smartphone to be able to be receiving this, I am sure that your child is living in a comfortable and stimulating environment. He or she is not deprived, living in poverty and lacking opportunities to be stimulated.

The things he needs are really quite easy to provide: I’ve summarised the most important activities in the bulleted points below, but please read the links to get a detailed explanation of why each activity is so important.

5 Things Kids Should Do

1. Small children need a lot of time for unstructured, free play, preferably out of doors if the weather is suitable. That's what I wrote about last time: Play is the Work of Childhood.

2. Secondly, to develop their language and thinking skills, they need a lot of reading aloud and to memorize songs and rhymes. Read them good stories (not ‘junk’ ) if not daily, then as often as possible. Preschool Language Skills explains why these two activities are essential.

3. Thirdly, children need daily routines and they need to learn to help and work in the home with a good attitude. This not only develops skills, but also a sense of “I CAN”, which is empowering and will encourage children to try new things in future. Here are tips for Character Training at preschool level.

4. They need to listen to a variety of music as music is not only soothing but also stimulates the brain.

5. They need plenty of physical exercise and fresh air to develop their Gross Motor Skills.

They do not need TV, tablets, PC games and other electronic gadgets. Trust me, they will master that technology very quickly when they are older. Neither do they do not lead a truck-load of toys. Most of the children I know, including my own, have too many toys.

Most importantly, they need lots of your time, attention and affection. Without self-confidence, they will probably never ever amount to much. It’s the parents who give a child his sense of identity, destiny and purpose in life and set him up to be successful throughout life.

What Should You Do with Your Preschoolers?

5 Things Kids Should Do

Recommended Books to Read