SKW ENG V09

EDUCATION
Going potty
A child who is not properly potty-trained
might run into problems when he or
she attends preschool. Well, at least, the
teachers might. Potty training your child
will help put your mind at ease and not
trouble preschool teachers too much. So,
before junior begins preschool, it’ll be a
good idea to see to this first.
At home, place the potty in the toilet
and encourage your child to use it, as
preschoolers will have to use toilets and
the setting will be familiar to your child.
Putting stuff back in
their places
In a preschool setting, there are bound to
be situations when little ones are expected
to put away things after using them. Don’t
take it for granted that these are things
that can be learned when they’re already
attending the school, for your child may
not take too easily to this new habit if
he or she is not accustomed to it at all at
home. So, start teaching your child to put
stuff away until it become second-nature
for them.
Building confidence
Not all kids are going to skip happily into
a classroom and start making friends. A
good many may be shy, insecure or may
even feel intimidated by the number of
other children present. If you know that
you child is naturally shy, it might be a
good idea to utilise your home and family
or friends as training ground to develop
those communication skills and boost
confidence in speaking to others apart
from you and your partner.
Although they will sooner or later develop
those skills at the preschool itself, there’s
no harm in getting a head start at home.
Social skills and
good manners
Where does your child stand so far when it
comes to saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’?
Does junior have a problem apologising
for any misdeed? Social readiness plays
a pivotal role in how well a child adapts
in preschool. Similarly, attributes such as
sharing, taking turns, playing with peers,
and participating in pretend play will be
needed if a preschool education is just
around the corner. The most natural way
for your little one to learn these skills
is during peer play, so have your child
participate in plenty of playdates prior to
being enrolled in a preschool.
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SmartKids World Vol. 09