I received a phone call from a sweet friend. She was feeling the pressure to do a lot of “school” with her 4 1/2 year old. But, every time that she tries to sit down with her son, he stalls and complains about it. Instead of being a time of learning and fun, it becomes a long-drawn-out war. She believes that her son has the ability to read but he simply doesn’t want to learn how to.
Can you relate? You feel the pressure as a Mom to make sure that your child is ready for Kindergarten. There may be other kids you know – the same age as your child – who are reading or adding and subtracting. You know, that same pressure you felt about crawling, walking, and potty training. Am I hitting home?
Before you start one day of preschool – whether you are using ABCJesusLovesMe or not – keep it fun. If at anytime, these activities become long, tear-filled, and frustrating, it is time to stop. Try a new way to learn the same concept. Take a break. Sit down and talk to your child about their frustration. Also be sure to make sure what you are wanting your child to do is age appropriate.
For a preschooler, learning should be fun and incorporated into their day. So, free yourself of the pressure to spend hours “doing” preschool and enjoy these last one or two years before your baby starts Kindergarten!
Amen, sister! As an early childhood consultant, I see a LOT of parents who become frustrated that their 2 year old doesn't know all of the letters, their 3 year old can't count to 100, their 4 year old can't read…but friends, these are not age-appropriate goals. Just because a lot of kids CAN do these things doesn't mean they SHOULD…preschool kids, above all else, need to move and experience and talk and play. If you can incorporate letters, shapes, etc. into movement and sensory experiences, all right. But please, don't feel as though you need to start the "drill and kill" at this age. There's a great poem, "Just Playing" that says it well. 🙂
So very true! I'm finding it takes less than an hour to do school with both of my preschoolers most days. Even less sometimes. We spend the rest of the day doing life which reinforces everthing else!