Did you know that early age learning is essential for your child’s proper development? Kids’ brains are like sponges, especially when they are young. They soak up the information from their surroundings pretty quickly. This means that the type of information they learn depends on the type of information you teach them, which can, later on, affect their life choices.
If you want to encourage your child on their way to self-fulfilment, you need to teach them certain things from the young age. Even though they may seem unimportant at the moment, they can help your kids later in life. So, what do you need to teach them?
1. Self-care
One of the most important things you need to teach your children is how to take proper care of their health and hygiene. Even from the youngest age, your kids need to learn how to brush their teeth, wash their hands, and clean their face properly. It’s commonly known that children are resistant to bathing, brushing and washing. So, what can you do?
Instead of telling them to go brush their teeth, show them how to do it. Teach them by example. It’s the best way they will incorporate that knowledge in their behaviour. Besides that, while they are young, you are their prime role model. Therefore, they will try to copy you.
2. Cleaning
It’s commonly known that kids create a big mess when they play. That’s why besides cleaning themselves, you need to teach your children how to clean up after themselves. That includes picking up their toys and storing them properly, taking their clothes to the laundry basket, putting their books away, cleaning the table after they’ve finished eating and many more.
Just like brushing their teeth, many kids hate doing cleaning up their mess. Is there a good way to motivate them to clean? One of the best ways to make your kids to anything is to make it a game or a competition. For example: “Who will be the first one to put away their toys?” This will teach them to be tidy, neat and responsible towards their stuff.
3. Preparing a simple meal
No matter how old your kids are, they can surely recognise the unsettling feeling of hunger. While they are young, they completely depend on you for food and drinks. That’s why you need to teach them to prepare simple meals.
Instead of shooing them away from the kitchen while you’re cooking, teach them to make a simple sandwich, using two slices of bread. Use sliced bread, in the beginning, to avoid letting your little ones handle the sharp knives. It will create a healthy relationship towards food and ease their way when they start meal prepping and packing lunches for school.
4. Time management
One of the most important soft skills many adults lack is time management. You’ve surely felt like you don’t have enough time during the day to do everything. That’s why you need proper time management to complete all of your tasks. Therefore, teaching your kids a time management skill while they are still young can help them through future struggles.
How can you do that? Instead of planning their schedule and telling them which activity to do when allowing them to do it themselves. Trying out different techniques can help them see which one works the best for them.
5. Decision-making process
Do you spend a lot of time trying to make a decision? You wouldn’t want your kids struggling with that either! So, one of the most important things they need to know in life is how to make a decision. How can you do that, if you’re undecisive yourself?
To teach your children to make decisions, allow them to have choices. Offer them options and ask them to explain the pros and cons of every option. Explain that the pros should outweigh the cons and that most decisions are reversible, in one way or another. This will take the pressure of their chests. Assist them in the process until they become confident enough to make their own decisions. It’s the best way to build confidence and assertiveness in children.
6. Teach them to love learning
One of the biggest problems many parents face is that their children don’t like learning. Whether they go to preschool or kindergarten, teaching them curiosity and love for knowledge can be challenging, especially in younger ages. Most kids feel like learning is boring and unnecessary and that’s why they give up so easily. What can you do?
You should start encouraging their curiosity from a younger age. Early learning is the best way to make children love learning through fun games and activities. That will show them that learning can be fun and useful in life. So, if you want to make your children love learning, learning through games and playing is ideal for them.
7. Home maintenance
One of the essential practical skills your kids need to know is basic home maintenance. No, they shouldn’t use hammers and dangerous tools. But something simple like dusting, vacuuming and changing a light bulb can be crucial for their development.
Many parents feel like their kids will get in the way when doing things around the house. However, if you want to raise an independent child, consider doing family house maintenance projects your kids can help you with. For instance, your children can help you rake the yard or clean the windows. Just keep in mind that their tasks need to be age-appropriate.
Conclusion
Early learning is essential for your child’s development. If you want to raise your child into an independent and functional adult, you should take time to teach them some of these important things.
So, don’t waste those formative years. Try to get the most out of your children by teaching them different soft and practical skills from an early age. That will help them form habits and patterns of behaviours that will surely help them later in life.
