Parents want the best for their children. It is at the epicenter of who we are as parents. We want them to have the best chance to be successful in life. I have created this preschool learning box and the learning activities because I want children to be prepared academically for their first year of school. I am very passionate about this as I have spent several years in the education field which helped me develop this home preschool curriculum. I feel even more strongly about children developing into socially and emotionally healthy individuals.
I want to reflect a little bit on what I think are some of the most important, non-academic characteristics that we as parents should develop in our children . This first of these is kindness. In my opinion, the world would be such a better place if everyone was kind to one another. Helping your child understand what kindness is and how they can show kindness to others is one of the best things we can do as parents.
The second thing that I think is important for children to learn about is empathy. It is not important for them to understand the word, but more so the idea. It is very important for individuals to be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes to help them better understand what others are going through. As parents, we can help our kids learn this skill by occasionally asking them “how do you think this person feels” or “why do you think someone acted a certain way”. This will help them gain the skill of being able to look beyond themselves to try to better understand others.
A third and final trait that is important for parents to help their kids develop is the ability to be grateful. Children come from different backgrounds. Regardless of their situation, everyone has something that can be thankful for, whether it be new clothing, a meal to eat or waking up with a roof over their head. People these days tend to take things for granted. Teaching children to be grateful for what they have will help them develop into more appreciative adults one day down the line.
I know that my children sometimes take the simple things for granted, so I like to point out to them what they do have… a bed to sleep in, food to eat, friends to play with, a new video game, or other things. Being grateful is such a great quality for people to possess. Taking time to think about others feel and being kind to others kind of go hand in hand, and are important skills for children to develop at a young age.
I hope you are able to take a little bit of time to talk with your kiddos about this. We can make the world a better place one child at a time.