A Parent's Ultimate Guide to Navigating Early Childhood Education

Raising a preschooler is as rewarding as it is challenging and stressful. It marks the beginning of your child exploring the world around them, gaining some independence, and developing their own identity and personality. 

 

As a parent, you will go through a series of adjustments, as do every preschooler. Just remember to shower your child with as much support and encouragement to help you grow and thrive in their new environment.

 

To help you out, here are some other parenting strategies to follow to help you navigate early childhood education and lead your child to success!

 

1. Acknowledge that transitions aren’t easy

 

The transition to preschool can be challenging, so give yourself and your child time to adjust to a new set of routines.

 

There will be times when your child may not want to get ready for school or bed or stop playing – and that’s okay! You may even find it difficult to get up from bed earlier than you’re used to.

 

The first step in navigating early childhood education is understanding that transitioning from one thing to another can be challenging and scary, especially for a preschooler. 

 

As a parent, what you can do is approach new challenges with a little more patience and empathy, both for you and your little one. 

 

2. Develop a routine and stick to it

 

Have you noticed that your little one loves following routines?

 

Children generally thrive on following a consistent routine because it gives them a sense of security and something to look forward to every day. It also helps to make the transition to preschool a lot smoother!

 

When developing a routine for your child, try to include the essential daily tasks such as making their bed, brushing their teeth, getting dressed, and preparing for bed. 

 

But the thing about daily routines is that what’s in them isn't nearly as important as making an active effort to follow and stick to them to give their day a sense of structure. 

 

3. Recognise and praise good behaviour

 

Preschoolers respond well to positive words, encouragement, and rewards, so whenever your child does something good, make sure to recognise their actions and praise them.

 

Try to be descriptive and specific about what pleases you! For example, you might say something like “I appreciate how polite you are by always saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to people you meet.”

 

Words like these can help promote positive behaviour, strengthen their self-esteem, and encourage them to continue doing well. 

 

4. Involve yourself in preschool affairs

 

A parent’s presence and support go a long way in a child’s early childhood education journey!

 

Whether it’s attending school activities or reading books to your child at home, parental involvement creates a more positive learning experience for children and motivates them to perform better at school. 

 

That’s why it’s equally important to pick a preschool that makes an effort to involve parents as much as possible. 

 

For example, My Little Campus organises monthly parent-teacher meetings and updates parents on what their children are learning on a weekly basis.

 

5. Validate your child’s feelings

 

Early childhood education will have children feeling all kinds of emotions, happiness, sadness, confusion, and so on. 

 

As a parent, it’s important that you take time to acknowledge and validate whatever your child is feeling. 

 

Children don’t often understand where their thoughts and feelings are coming from. By validating their experiences, you’re giving context to their emotions and helping them make sense of what they’re feeling. 

 

Additionally, knowing their feelings are heard and having a better understanding of them gives children a sense of security and stability.