Teaching colors and shaped for Valentine’s Day

Toddler activities for Valentine’s Day naturally lends itself to reinforcing the color red, understanding that there are different shades of red and teaching the heart shape.

Appropriate choices for preschoolers

When parents offer appropriate choices to preschoolers, many power struggles can be avoided.

Preschooler in charge

Putting your preschooler in charge of a regular, simple task will build her confidence and sense of competency.

Let them do it

Resist doing for her what she can do herself. While it may be quicker and easier to do it yourself, it won’t help to make your child more self-sufficient.

Feeding themselves

The best way to prevent feeding problems is to teach your child to feed himself as early as possible, provide them with healthy choices and allow experimentation.

Learning shapes and colors

Help tots learn colors shapes and numbers, use a full deck of playing cards and show your child how to sort them into piles by color or shapes.

Monkey see…

Preschoolers are heavily influenced by what they see. It’s important to actively supervise what your child is exposed to on television and in the real world.

Math success

Beginning school with a mastery of early math concepts (awareness of numbers, shapes, patterns, et cetera) is the number-one indicator of future overall academic success.

Building vocabulary

Build your child’s vocabulary by talking about interesting words and objects. For example, “Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings?”

Offering choices

Offering choices teaches life skills and can actually improve behavior. Preschoolers need to practice decision making skills and parents need preschoolers to stay on schedule, clean up and brush their teeth, along with a number of other issues.

When tots socialize

Around the time he turns 2, your toddler will start to actively reach out to other children. But as with any other skill, he learns how to socialize with others by trial and error.

When preschoolers understand the past and future

Preschoolers learn the difference between reality and fantasy. By the end of the preschool years, your child will have a better understanding of past, present and future.

Review Your Child’s Social Skills.

Your little one doesn’t have to be the next Emily Post, but she should have a basic grasp of how to behave in public. From using the restroom on her own to knowing to say “please” and “thank you” there are some practical skills that your preschooler should have mastered by now, or at least possess a basic understanding.

Do as I do

When you read newspapers and write letters, you show your young child how reading and writing are useful. By demonstrating why reading and writing are important, you will motivate your child to become a reader and writer.

Getting down to your child’s eye level

Be aware of your posture and position when talking with your child. Get down to your child’s eye level. Kneel next to him or sit beside him to take away the intimidating difference in size and height.

Self-sufficiency

Resist doing for her what she can do herself. While it may be quicker and easier to do it yourself, it won’t help to make your child more self-sufficient.

Child and their limits

Know your child’s limits. Your child may misbehave because he or she doesn’t understand or can’t do what you’re asking.

Children interacting in the world around them

Children who know what is expected of them and what they can expect from their world are more likely to develop a strong sense of self.

Outings are learning opportunities

Playgrounds, supermarket, toy shops, parks, zoos, museums and similar locations provide learning experiences for the young. Most toddlers learn quite a lot by observing their surroundings.

Encourage Questions

Asking questions is an important part of your toddler’s learning development, so do encourage your child to have an inquiring mind from an early age.