Education and communication skills are essential building blocks for a child’s character.
Even though your child can speak a bit, they don’t yet possess the vocabulary and skills needed to express their ideas and emotions clearly. That won’t stop them trying though! So what can you do to help them learn these skills faster?
Stay close to your child
You might be tired after a long days work. But you need to prioritise talking with your little one. Don’t forget a child’s first school is their home. So mum and dad, you are your child’s first teacher. They might also learn through their interactions with an elder sibling or cousin. If your child is at home with a daily helper or at a daycare centre they might not truly receive the love and care of a mum and dad.
The closer you are to your child, the greater the impact you can have on their lives. Because children learn most from those they are closest to. Don’t you want to be that?
Listen attentively
You may not understand what your child is saying, or you may be extremely busy, under stress, physical discomfitted or simply tired. Still, listen to your child and listen well! This will help you understand your child better than anyone else.
No prejudices
It's not okay for you to pass judgment on your child before he even gets a chance to explain or say something. As a parent, you might already sense what they are about to say but avoid the temptation of saying “I know what you're going to say”. These will hinder the growth of your child’s communication skills or worse cause regression. So always listen to what they want to say. Don’t pass judgment beforehand.
How to educate children
Our mothers put great emphasis on education. However, they make a mistake by equating education to just learning to write, read etc. When you are selecting a nursery was the first concern you had “Does that nursery teach the alphabet from an early age?” Mum, remember education for your child does not mean just writing and reading. Focus on a well-balanced education.
Teach your child left and right.
Teach your child how to identify his left and right hand. Do this from an early age. Introduce them to their eating hand. Teach them how to figure out the right shoe. Teach them to put on the buttons.
Teach about colours
You don’t have to teach them a lesson about colours. Every day and moment they spend with you can be a learning experience. Just talk about the colour of baby’s hat, mummy saree, dad’s tie. This will be more than enough for them to differentiate and distinguish colours at an early age.
Teach them about shapes
You can teach your child about shapes using their own toys. A round ball, a box, a circle.
Spend time outdoors
Let your child spend time and learn to love the outdoors. Show them the sky, clouds, stars, flying birds, the squirrels. This will broaden your little one’s understanding and intelligence.
Allow for creativity
Allow children to be creative. This is one of the best ways for them to develop their intellect. Let them play with building blocks, clay, clean sand and water. Let them mix sand and water. Play ‘kom pittu’. All of these activities help their brain and motor skill development.
Give the opportunity to sort
Try to get your little one to sort things. Ask them to sort similar items. Or separate things that don’t match. Allow them to arrange vegetables and fruits into separate baskets. These are simple activities that teach them important life concepts.
Do you dream of your child one day becoming a doctor or an engineer? Why not first focus on helping them learn valuable life concepts? Spend time to teach them good communication skills. Teach them lessons from nature. These deceivingly simple activities will ultimately lay the foundations needed for your child to excel and be the best he can be.
0 Comments