As a mom, I know how important it is for your children to learn new things at an early age. Children typically learn very quickly and easily during those early years especially their language skills. I also knew that I needed to find some preschool teaching materials and tools to help keep him occupied and to make learning fun. I knew that it was important for him to continue learning so that he wouldn’t lose the skills and knowledge that he has already acquired from daycare. If you have a toddler, you probably already know that they have a short attention span and you have to keep them busy and entertained.
I wanted to share with you how my son’s first week of “Mommy’s Preschool” went.
Disclosure: All the ideas shared in this post are my own opinions and may differ from yours.
Make Learning Fun
When you make learning fun, most children don’t even realize that they are learning new things. You can actually teach your child a great amount of information using play therapy. Playing is a great way to introduce your child new vocabulary words. There are additional benefits of using play time to make learning fun: it enhances creativity, promotes social skills, helps develop their cognitive skills, and improves your child’s motor skills. For example, last week I was teaching my son about animals with animal flash cards. When I showed him a new animal I would add the silly animal sounds that matched the picture on the flash card. He loved making animal sounds and being silly. I was amazed at how many animals and sounds that he already knew.
Toddlers are Easily Distracted
Toddlers are easily distracted and they don’t have the ability to stay on task for long periods of time. My mother in law is a teacher and she suggested putting him in his high chair while doing activities. Each morning after breakfast, I would move his high chair into the living room for our lessons. It was a great way to keep him in his seat and it was easy to get him back on task when he was ready to move on. If you find that your toddler is having a tough time paying attention for long periods of time, try breaking up the lesson into several short sessions and slowly work towards improving the amount of time that he or she can spend on a particular task.
Limit Television Time
Television is a great tool and there is a wide selection of programs during the day to keep your toddler entertained. As an experienced mom, I feel that the television shouldn’t be your child’s only source of entertainment. After all you want your child to learn how to entertain themselves. They should be able to play with their toys and use their own creativity to come up with their own activities as long as they aren’t putting themselves in danger. Too much television gives the media the chance to influence your child in a negative way. I am a firm believer that what you put into your child will be what you get out of your child.
Be Flexible
As you are planning your day, it is important for you to be flexible. There will be time when things do not go as planned and other days you will find that you quickly run out of ideas to keep your child entertained. If you find yourself running out of ideas, you can always search the internet and find cool ideas for craft time or learning materials.
Give Your Child Some Control Over Their Daily Activities
Let your child make a few decisions about how they want to spend their day. This teaches them responsibility and allows them to make their own decisions. After all, parents are usually telling their child “no” on a regular basis and allowing them to make a few of their own decisions is a great way to boost your child’s confidence.
Get Your Toddler to Help With Household Chores
Most of the time you can get the household chores done while your child is napping or during the evening hours; however, I think it is important for your child to be involved in helping and learning how to do chores. You would be surprised how much that your toddler can actually do to help you with accomplishing the daily chores. For example, you can easily get your toddler to help pick up their toys, help you move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, and even put grocery items away. My youngest son loves to help out and it makes him feel good for helping his mommy or daddy. I always give him age appropriate chores and praise him when he does what I ask him to do.
Find Play Dates or Play Groups in Your Area
Play dates or groups are a great way for you and your toddler to get out of house. It is also a great way for your child to have the opportunity interact with other children. A play group is a great way to meet new friends and find new activities to do with your child based upon your schedule. You can search for play groups on MeetUp.com or Facebook.
Homeschooling a toddler can be challenging but with your commitment and dedication your hard work will pay off. A great preschool program will allow your child to learn new things and be prepared for kindergarten. My youngest son has learned so much at daycare and I realized how important it was for me to continue teaching him when we decided to pull him out of daycare. So I decided to find a preschool program that I could follow at home.
To get weekly updates to Uplifting Families, please subscribe to my newsletter or join in the conversation with me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and G+.
