Parenting Preschoolers: Four Ways to Enhance Your Child’s Development

By Kevin Andersen

A common theme in child development is the nature versus nurture paradigm. In other words, some aspects of child development concern natural tendencies such as the child’s progression through a series of biological changes. Your preschooler’s development is also influenced by the environment, or the nurture part of the paradigm.

Since you have a huge environmental impact on your child as a nurturer, why not take active steps to enhance your young child’s development? Don’t you want to set aside time and money for helping your child grow and develop optimally?

Here are four ways to enhance the development of your toddler or preschooler using simple child development concepts.

1. Help your child with the development of motor skills and other skills through physical activities like riding a tricycle, playing with a ball, walking, running, or dancing. Your child’s future health will be impacted by his/her activity level. By doing physical activities, you contribute to your child’s short-term and long-term health.

2. Share knowledge with your child. Early access to books and other resources stimulates your child’s cognitive development. You can share knowledge by taking simple steps like reading books with your child and going on field trips to museums and nature attractions.

Sports and physical activities contribute to your child’s health

3. Listen to your child and respond. Another idea is to increase your child’s communication skills by engaging in daily conversation. As your child grows and learns about more things in the surrounding environment, s/he will ask you questions. For example, taking the time to answer a question like “Why is a rose red?” can help your child to increase language skills and add to his/her knowledge.

4. Encourage your child to try things alone. You can’t hold your child back from everything. It doesn’t mean that you should turn a 3-year-old alone in the kitchen to cook brownies. Encouraging children to do independent tasks may be as simple as asking your child to bring you something from the kitchen or to put toys away without assistance. You want to help your child develop into a self-sufficient adult. It starts at a very young age.

Taking an active role in your child’s development can make a huge difference in future settings like in school and at work. Give your child as many opportunities to succeed as possible. The easiest way to practice active nurturing is to spend as much time as possible with your child.

Remember to fill up your time with meaningful activities, including learning opportunities. For very young children, even ordinary activities like washing the dishes provide an opportunity for learning.

© Kevin Andersen

Kevin Andersen is the owner of an online store that sells personalized books for kids.  Kevin is also the owner of the Parent’s Tip Blog.

This article may be reproduced with the complete author bio and a live link back to http://www.lovingyourchild.com

Additional resources:

• Early Loving Early Learning: Loving Ways to Make Your Baby Smarter – Learn amazing secrets about early nurturing that will have lifelong benefits to your baby’s development – without feeling overcome by guilt and stress or having to create a whole new lifestyle.
• Ruling The Roost: Toddler Discipline Guide – Establishing a sound routine is essential for creating a positive and nurturing environment for your infant and toddler to grow and develop. An easy to understand guide that helps any level of parent create a sound and nurturing discipline routine starting as early as 6 months!
• Kids And Chores: Mom, Can I Help Around the House? – Need help with a messy home & messy kids? Use this simple step-by-step system for teaching your children life-long skills for pitching in and picking up. Teach your children responsibility, self-sufficiency and confidence today.

Photo source theboule

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