As a parent, you have a great responsibility to help your child grow to become the very best individual he can be. This of course can mean setting examples for your children to follow. Because children tend to emulate their parents, they will naturally learn from what they see and hear.
Child experts agree, the importance of educating your children begins during their early years. Young children are in some ways like sponges. That is they tend to absorb everything around them. For positive or negative, life is an experience for children, and continues to be so throughout their growing up years. It’s essential to help your child learn and to educate them from infancy onward.
Education doesn’t simply mean what they learn in school or daycare. Parents have a responsibility to teach their children from the moment they are old enough to understand. babies and toddlers are smarter than many adults give them credit for. This is why it’s crucial to begin teaching your child at home from the earliest possible time if their young lives.
Most everyone has heard from the experts the importance of reading to children. By reading to your child you are giving them a head start in their education. You might wonder how this is so. Quite simply, when your child is read to, he will come to appreciate the joy and excitement of reading. He will also associate the words with the picture that is depicted.
When reading to your child, point out the words and enunciate them clearly. You’d be surprised how quickly a child can comprehend in this manner. Teaching your child to read before he even begins school would definitely be an advantage. Even if he doesn’t learn how to read by kindergarten, he can still be one step ahead of the game by appreciating books and what they stand for.
Educating your child from an early age means many different things. Instilling values, morals and strong beliefs is something that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Teaching him right from wrong at the earliest possible age is a stepping stone in his journey toward education.
Many parents worry about their children watching too many mindless TV shows and playing too many video games. There are other ways to entertain children and educate them in the process. Preschoolers can learn from educational games and toys. Older children can learn skills from learning to manipulate computer software programs.
There are other ways to educate your child from the earliest stages of his life. By encouraging your child’s creativity, you are reinforcing him to learn. Take a walk outside, and point out everything he sees. Later ask him to draw a picture of what he noticed while outdoors. Maybe he shows an interest in photography. Have him take pictures with a camera suitable for small fingers to manipulate. This too can be educational.
All parents teach their children to respect their elders. We all know this is very important. However, teaching your child to respect all living creatures and life in general is an essential part of his development. Helping him appreciate life and understand what it represents, is helping him grow.
When your child asks questions, such as “Why is…”, it’s important not to brush him off. Taking the time to answer all of his questions is crucial to his learning experience and his development. If he doesn’t ask, he won’t have the opportunity to learn. No questions your child asks you is silly or unimportant.
Stimulate your child’s mind and he will develop into the intelligent adult his potential commands. Helping your child avoid boredom by offering him choices and challenges, is a positive way to boost his education. If he isn’t challenged, he most likely isn’t learning.
In conclusion, give your child the freedom to try new experiences, within reason. He has to fail at some point, to succeed later. To gain self confidence, he needs to be able to spread his wings and let his imagination take flight. Encourage that imagination and you’ll be teaching your child in more ways than you can imagine.