There are two behaviours that are almost guaranteed to get you doubting your talents as a parent - and questioning the genes your child has inherited!
Finding out that your pre-schooler has hit another child, or bitten them.
There’s a wide variation among children, but both behaviours are considered normal in very young children.
Babies and children love movement.
As infants, children love to sway; as they get older, they need to move. Swings have been fulfilling these needs and delighting both children and infants, largely unchanged, for thousands of years. As early as the 5th Century B.C. Greek artists have captured children and women swinging on swings.
Encouraging children to play outdoors is one of the best things we can do for them. In fact, it’s essential for their health and wellbeing.
There are so many advantages. When children go outside they:
burn more calories, especially if it’s cold, reducing the risk of obesity;
develop better coordination;
develop better physical fitness;
produce more vitamin D (vitamin D is important for good bones); and
get exposure to bacteria and microbes that help boost their resistance to disease.
Children need attention like a plant needs sun and water. - Rudolf Dreikus
Children are really skilled at finding ways to get adults to pay attention to them.
Some of their ways are cute, like cuddles and hugs and smiles and jokes. Others, not so welcome; like defiance, aggression, tantrums, whining or back chat.
Few young children are consistently cooperative when it comes to brushing teeth.
And of course, even if they're keen, young children lack the manual dexterity to do a thorough job.
Brushing properly and regularly doesn’t just benefit our children while they are growing up; it sets the stage for a lifetime of great teeth, good oral hygiene, and easy dental check-ups.
Using scissors is a skill that is not always easy to master for pre-schoolers with tiny hands.
It’s an important skill that prepares children for handwriting and using a pencil.
In order to master scissors, a child needs to be able to use their index finger, middle finger, and thumb separately from their other fingers. You can help your pre-schooler develop their scissor skills by introducing them to activities that strengthen their hand and finger muscles and improve their bilateral coordination.
When a new brother or a sister arrives on the scene existing children have some adjusting to do.
Generally, children between 18 months and three years old have the hardest time adjusting (children under 18 months have fewer problems because they don't realise how life is changing for them, and once past three, children generally handle frustrating situations better).
If you have a pre-schooler at home there's a good chance they want to pick out their own clothes.
Maybe they insist on wearing a tutu or superhero cape when leaving the house, or perhaps blue polka dot socks with a pink flower dress. It can be a fashion war getting children dressed, particularly on busy mornings.
Grandparents offer a lot more than just free babysitting!
Grandparents play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren. Their significance is commonly couched in terms of the support and help they give to the parents - they're often seen as stress buffers and supporters, and maybe family historians.
When children whine they are feeling powerless. If we scold them for whining or refuse to listen to them we increase their feelings of powerlessness. If we give in so they will stop whining, we reward that powerlessness. But if we relaxedly, playfully, invite them to use a strong voice, we increase their sense of confidence and competence. And we find a bridge back to close connection. - Lawrence Cohen, author of Playful Parenting
Your child will be more successful in life if they have good manners.
We exist in a world where success means engaging with other people - and good manners (politeness) is the way we lubricate those engagements. It's how we demonstrate our respect and a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others, and people of all ages, races, genders and cultures appreciate being appreciated. Good manners lead naturally to good behaviour, gratitude, courtesy and the polite treatment of others - all a passport to future success.
Biting is typical behaviour seen in babies and toddlers.
In the case of babies, biting is an experiment. They bite their teething toys, their mother’s breast, their pacifier, and their parents! Usually, the parent’s immediate flinch or cry of surprise communicates to the child that biting hurts, and after a few experiments the child will learn enough about biting to move on, and their experiments cease. There’s nothing bad or wrong with these biting experiments; the baby is doing what he or she must do to learn.
