Preschool Education & Everything Preschool

We all remember the joy of summer vacation. It was when we went on trips, enjoyed some leisure time with friends and family and otherwise got to have a little bit of a break from the daily grind of our many years of formal education. But as an adult, you know that a lot of learning can get lost in those months if you let it. Learning should be an ongoing activity that your child does each day of his life … but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up the joys of summer vacation altogether. Instead, engage in fun educational activities with your kids during the summer to keep their minds sharp even as they enjoy their seasonal adventures.

Let’s take a look at some of the different types of homeschooling styles that parents out there are using to educate their preschoolers so you can get a better idea of what your options are and how you’re going to exercise them.

It is infuriating when it feels like your child ignores the directions that you have given. As a parent, it’s frustrating to feel like your child doesn’t have the listening skills that she needs to be able to understand, remember and act upon what you have told her. But this is a normal part of the development process and one of the reasons that parents of preschoolers require wells of patience in order to assist their children in growing up with normal, healthy development. You not only want to teach your child good listening skills so that she can do what you say needs to be done but you also want to make sure she has those skills so that she will do well in school, get along with peers and be able to engage in appropriate social behavior in groups.

Here are some tips to improve your preschooler’s listening skills and to get her well on the way to being able to understand what’s said to her and to act upon it appropriately.

You feel like your worst nightmare has come to pass. Another child in your preschooler’s life has started to bully him or her and you’re not sure what to do about it. On the one hand, you want to teach your child to stick up for himself and to handle things alone. On the other, you want to intervene and stop the bullying before it gets out of hand. You have no idea what to do. And the worst part is that the situation brings out all of your feelings of helplessness as you begin to realize that you are not going to be able to protect your child from the world.

Should your preschooler be required to do chores? At what age are chores appropriate for your kids? And how do you go about delegating chores to your preschooler? These are all questions that parents often face as they try to teach their kids about responsibility in the home. Parents should know that dealing with these questions is something that other parents are going through as well and that you’ll find the right answers for your family.

Here are some of the basic things to know for getting preschool kids started on chores:

Bedtime. Does the very word strike fear into your heart? Don’t worry; you aren’t alone. Many parents dread the nightly bedtime ritual. This is especially true for parents of preschoolers who are worried about leaving their children alone in the night but getting a little bit desperate for some rest of their own. Establishing healthy bedtime routines can help make that part of the night go more smoothly. In fact, healthy bedtime routines can even make getting ready for bed a fun family activity. Believe it or not, bedtime doesn’t have to be bad time.

I read this really great post today on Guilt-Free Homeschooling that I wanted to share with you. The author writes about 10 signs that you know you are doing a good job as a Homeschooling Parent. Here is a little snip-it:

Thumb sucking is an issue of concern for many parents right around the time that kids are entering preschool age. As babies, it’s not an issue. In fact, many parents feel that it’s good for their pre-teeth youngsters because it comforts them, helps them to fall asleep and can ease the pain of teething. But as kids get older and those teeth are coming in, it’s necessary for parents to intervene to deter their children from sucking their thumbs. Continued thumb sucking in these older years can cause dental problems and it is therefore recommended that you break the habit entirely by the time that the child is kindergarten age.

We are always wondering if our children are “normal”. We don’t mean to do it, but nevertheless, it’s something that we do all of the time. From the time that we first count those ten toes and ten fingers, we’re subconsciously (or consciously) comparing our kids to some ideal standard of what is “normal” and wondering how they measure up. And when it comes to areas of life that aren’t so easy to understand, we often have trouble figuring out what’s “normal” and how to deal with it. Often, this is the case when it comes to imaginary friends.

You know that kid. He’s the one who is appalling even the other children with his atrocious table behavior. He spills food all over the place, he doesn’t ask before grabbing items, he makes obnoxious bodily noises and he talks with his mouth open. He’s only a child and yet you can’t help but be a little bit repulsed by him. When you look at your own children, perhaps in a public place where you can feel the scrutinizing eyes of other parents’ judging your parenting techniques, do you see this child in place of your own?