No two kids are ever the same. Even twins tend to go their separate ways and progress at different rates. Of course, all kids need a little encouragement from time to time. And it’s up to us as parents to be sure our children have the opportunity to develop their physical skills as well as their mental abilities.
Helping your child to progress is a really good idea. It helps the two of you bond, and you get to spend more quality time with your child. Free play has its place. Kids need some time to sit and be creative and to explore things on their own. But having regular support, guidance, encouragement and input from you helps them learn more.
No child is going to master riding a bike the first time he tries it. Young children need to have attained certain gross motor skills and coordination before they get the hang of it. As parents, we can help offer the support and encouragement needed for our children to give it a try. Most importantly, we can help them learn this valuable new skill by showing them, and describing what needs to be done.
As our kids get a bit bigger and start school, much of their progress is left in the hands of their teacher. These days there seems to be less emphasis on their physical development and far more on their mental or academic skills. You can still be involved in these things in lots of ways. Perhaps your little one likes to play team sports. You can help out with the administration of the team. Perhaps you’re happy to offer the half time snacks, or order the strips?
Getting involved helps your child feel encouraged in the activity. If your little one loves playing football, you might help organise some matches. You could order football trophys & awards from Premier Trophies for all the participants. Sports like football improve coordination and gross motor skills. They also help children learn about teamwork and develop social skills. Parents’ involvement helps keep these small community groups alive.
Helping your child with homework can sometimes be tedious, but it is an essential part of parenting. However, you can engage in lots of other activities to enhance and promote their learning. Challenge their mental skills with puzzles and questions. Try the simple things like asking your child to add three spoons of sugar to your cake mix. Or tell you what time it will be when the cake is baked are great ways to get involved in their development this way.
Singing songs about particular topics can also help instill learning. The times table song is a traditional way to help kids learn them. You can adapt a song to any topic. Remember the ‘Dem Bones’ song that details all the connections of the skeleton bones? And we’ve all sung the alphabet song!
Children develop so rapidly from toddlerhood to puberty, but there’s no need to back off when they start school. Instead, find creative ways to help what they learn stick. Whether it’s physical skills or mental arithmetic, you can help your child’s development progress.
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