
Preschool-aged children (2-5 years) are such joys to work with because they're like sponges. They look to their parents and us teachers as role models in developing their own values, habits and social and communication skills. Because our little ones are so impressionable at this age, one thing I find important in the child development process is quality time spent between parents and their children.
The kind of quality time I mean is interactive. It's not giving your daughter an iPad while you finish your work in the next room. It's not taking your son with you on a string of errands because the babysitter was booked. I mean quality time spent where parents interact personally with their children, fully engaged in an activity together. What is your child's passion? Maybe she likes to color; perhaps you can take some time and color a picture with her. If he likes books, sit down with him and a good book regularly and read a chapter or two.
Engaging in these activities with your child is important for many reasons. Spending quality time with your child, for example, will make him feel important and loved. Having these feelings of being appreciated as a young child has a great impact on their self-esteem as they get older.
Another way children benefit from this type of personal engagement is that it gives the child an opportunity to model your behavior. As I already mentioned, young minds are impressionable and will emulate the behaviors and habits of their teachers and parents as their own. Reading with your daughter will teach her that reading is important and can be fun; eventually, she will develop a love for reading, thus substantiating her intellectual development.
Last, but certainly not least, spending quality time with your child will strengthen the bond you already have with her as her parent. Studies show that children who have a strong connection with their parent(s) are less likely to engage in destructive activities later on in adolescence.
One might wonder why I, as an educator, am writing about the importance of parents spending quality time with their children. It's because I believe a healthy home environment, in which our students have ample opportunity to learn from and bond with their parents, translates into improved social and intellectual performance in school.
So as a parent myself, my advice to other parents is to, no matter how busy life gets, always make time to spend quality time with your little ones. Even if it's a half-hour every night drawing a picture, reading a book or playing a game together, that one-on-one engagement can make a hug impact on his or her development into the beautiful people God created them to be.
The kind of quality time I mean is interactive. It's not giving your daughter an iPad while you finish your work in the next room. It's not taking your son with you on a string of errands because the babysitter was booked. I mean quality time spent where parents interact personally with their children, fully engaged in an activity together. What is your child's passion? Maybe she likes to color; perhaps you can take some time and color a picture with her. If he likes books, sit down with him and a good book regularly and read a chapter or two.
Engaging in these activities with your child is important for many reasons. Spending quality time with your child, for example, will make him feel important and loved. Having these feelings of being appreciated as a young child has a great impact on their self-esteem as they get older.
Another way children benefit from this type of personal engagement is that it gives the child an opportunity to model your behavior. As I already mentioned, young minds are impressionable and will emulate the behaviors and habits of their teachers and parents as their own. Reading with your daughter will teach her that reading is important and can be fun; eventually, she will develop a love for reading, thus substantiating her intellectual development.
Last, but certainly not least, spending quality time with your child will strengthen the bond you already have with her as her parent. Studies show that children who have a strong connection with their parent(s) are less likely to engage in destructive activities later on in adolescence.
One might wonder why I, as an educator, am writing about the importance of parents spending quality time with their children. It's because I believe a healthy home environment, in which our students have ample opportunity to learn from and bond with their parents, translates into improved social and intellectual performance in school.
So as a parent myself, my advice to other parents is to, no matter how busy life gets, always make time to spend quality time with your little ones. Even if it's a half-hour every night drawing a picture, reading a book or playing a game together, that one-on-one engagement can make a hug impact on his or her development into the beautiful people God created them to be.