Being a parent is a huge responsibility. It takes so much time and energy to take good care of a child, and every action you take or word you speak will have an impact on their development. It’s absolutely vital that you take the right steps to promote the most positive development in their early years, teaching them to be resilient and develop good mental health practices. This is an essential formative stage that lays the foundations for the rest of their life.
Fortunately, learning how to teach your children some of the most important lessons doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might expect, as there are many brilliant ideas that you can make the most of to show your little ones how to thrive long term. So, if you’re interested in finding out more, then simply read on!
Learning How To Read & Write
First and foremost, one of the most important things that you need to teach your children is how to read and write with confidence. It’s absolutely critical that they can understand how to read from a book, road sign or any other form of print, as the importance of print awareness for kids is huge.
They first need to be able to recognize that what they’re seeing is a word or sentence, rather than simply spotting a jumble of meaningless letters. A great way to introduce your little ones to the world of reading and writing is by challenging them when you head out for the day, as even locations like the grocery store contain thousands of different words in a range of sizes, fonts and formats.
First encourage them to identify something that contains writing, as this is proof of print awareness that shows they can differentiate between patterns and meaningful words. Then, set a great example for them to follow by reading out loud everything that you see – this could mean shouting out a city name as you pass it’s street sign, or even reading the ingredients list of a food item aloud as your little ones sit by your side and follow on the packet to link up the sounds to each different letter.
Learning how to read and write might take a little time, and some support from the local education system when they’re old enough to go to school, but it’s an essential step that you must take if you want your child to develop in a normal, healthy manner.
Being illiterate in today’s society will close so many doors for them, as they will find it extremely difficult to communicate with others, find employment and feel confident when they cannot read or write. Once they have the hang of reading and writing you should always utilize this by encouraging them to enjoy books or literature, as a passion for reading can teach them so many new words, phrases and concepts that they would never have previously discovered without your guiding influence.
Mastering Personal Care & Hygiene
Your next focus when attempting to lay the best possible foundations for your child should be to help them master the art of personal care and hygiene. Though surprising, looking after yourself definitely doesn’t come naturally, and each individual needs to be taught and shown how to perform the right self care to ensure that health problems and discomfort can be avoided.
Inspiring your kids to take regular baths or showers can be a great place to begin your hygiene lessons, as it’s so important that they can gain the opportunity to wash themselves each day or every other day to reduce the likelihood of developing any kind of infection or illness. Taking a bath or shower means washing your entire body from head to toe, so it’s a good idea to show your little ones how they should be cleaning themselves before you let them bathe independently. Check that they do not miss places such as their feet or neck, as performing thorough self care from an early age can help to promote smooth skin that isn’t riddled with acne or other similar conditions.
You’ll also need to teach them how to brush their teeth properly, as without good oral hygiene they can expect to encounter a variety of unsightly and very painful conditions. Staining and discoloration, decay and cavities are all very common issues that those who do not brush their teeth regularly or thoroughly enough can expect to experience, so you must help your children to avoid such problems by laying the best foundations early on. If they know how to clean their teeth and mouth effectively well before their adult teeth grow in, then you can rest assured knowing that their adult teeth will have the best chance of thriving.
Other important hygiene steps such as washing your hands should also be on your agenda. Hand washing helps to reduce infection, as picking up bacteria or dirt during the day that you will then consume when eating with unwashed hands is sure to affect your immune system. Encourage them to wash their hands after going to the toilet, before eating a meal and even when they return home from school if they’re a particularly messy pup!
Understanding Nutrition & Eating Habits
Finally, one of the last vital lessons that you need to teach your little ones is how to understand nutrition and develop the best possible eating habits. Today’s society is riddled with unnatural and unhealthy temptations, with cartoon-themed fast food joints and brightly colored candy seemingly targeted towards children specifically designed to draw them in. Showing them that good food is totally natural and healthy is vital, and one of the best ways to begin such a project is by growing your own fruits and vegetables in your backyard.
Taking the opportunity to purchase a few seeds and some gardening equipment will allow you to get growing in a matter of days, and you can show your children the life cycle of a plant from beginning to end for another key lesson. Explaining that real food comes from real plants without the need for excessive processing is vital, as this way they will begin to lean more towards wholefoods rather than junk. If they can develop a taste for natural, nutritionally rich meals and snacks at an early age, they’ll have a far better chance of maintaining their healthy habits long into the future.
Basic cooking may also be a lesson you wish to teach your children, as preparing meals isn’t as simple as just picking your fruit or vegetables from the garden. Chopping and cutting are essential skills that they can implement in the kitchen, as well as cleaning up after themselves by washing any dishes or utensils that they have used during their cooking process. It’s important that you as their parent can also make an effort to eat healthily so that you can set a good example, as it will be very contradictory to preach about fruits and vegetables while chowing down on a greasy burger for your own dinner. Lead the way by promoting healthy foods, snacking on fruit and focusing on salads and similar dishes that are packed full of vitamins and minerals.
Teaching your children just a few of these important lessons can have an enormous impact on their development, encouraging them to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle for the foreseeable future. It’s never been easier to take great care of your little ones when you can take the time to follow the steps above, so what are you waiting for?