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.

Structure is key. As a parent and educator, I have seen first hand how providing a healthy structured learning environment for children ensures strong social and academic development and success later on. At Miracle Moments, not only do we offer such an environment throughout the day for our 2-5 year-olds as part of the preschool and kindergarten programs, we also provide an After-School Care Program under the guidance of our fully credentialed teachers for children ages 6-12 years.

The first thing our kids do when they arrive at our facility after their regular school programs is meet with one of our teachers to go over their homework assignments. No time is wasted. Each teacher is qualified to assist in all subject areas and is uniquely gifted in making learning fun for the kids, often incorporating a game or a healthy snack into the lessons. After completion of all homework assignments, each child is given an opportunity to go to a Learning Center of his or her choice (Dramatic Play, Computers, Reading or Writing).

The reasons for providing our After-School Care Program are numerous:

First, it ensures that our kids have access to academically enriching activities, including tutoring, to which they would otherwise not have access if left unsupervised. Too often these days, children are left to the tutelage of video games or the next viral YouTube video, when they could be putting their minds to more constructive use and having fun while at it.

Second, by providing a safe environment for our kids to apply themselves in their school work, we work to increase homework completion and engagement in school. A child who is struggling with math–who expresses frustration and disengagement in school when math is taught–will begin to understand the concepts and thus appreciate and engage with the subject more because of the extra time spent at Miracle Moments. In the end, it is our sincere hope that our work with these kids will increase graduation rates and test scores, thus preparing each child for further academic success in college and professional achievement thereafter.

Finally, we understand that all of our students represent many various forms of family units. Some have two full-time working parents; others may come from a single-parent home. We understand that it can be difficult for parents to provide direct supervisory support for their children all of the time. Miracle Moments' After-School Care Program gives parents peace of mind knowing their child is in good hands.

For more information about our After-School Care Program or if you would like to enroll your child, feel free to contact one of our team members and we will be happy to help!