Want to get your PRESCHOOLER to LISTEN? Learn HOW from EXPERTS!

“My child zones out in the middle of any conversation!”

“Sirf wahi sunta hai jo use sunna hota hai!”

“My child doesn’t listen to me! What should I do?”

If you are one such parent who can relate to these comments and don’t know how to get your child to listen, this blog is for you! To start with: DON’T WORRY. We all have moments when trying to get a child’s attention feels like talking to a brick wall.

At home, this inability to listen can be infuriating and at preschool, it can get in the way of their learning.

The experienced educators at the best preschool in Bopal, Ahmedabad understand that this inability to listen can get in the way of a child’s learning. Here are some tips and secrets straight from the expert’s desk:

How parents can nurture good listening skills

At the best preschool in Ahmedabad, every teacher is constantly working on developing a child’s listening skills through different activities, but there are things that parents can do at home to help them even more:

1) Be a good listener yourself:

For young children everything starts and ends with their parents. You might not have noticed but every child observes and analyses their parents and unconsciously integrates the parent’s habits into themselves. They may copy gestures or internalize words learned from their parents. Children can easily tell if their parents are being attentive or not by the way parents reply or not to their words.

Hence, as parents, try setting a good example by showing children how to be a good listener by being one. Keep your phone aside or stay away from any kind of distraction and show your interest. Maintain eye contact, stop what you are doing and show your children that they have your undivided attention. No matter how irrelevant you find your child’s talk, make sure to respond and react to them.

Wait there’s more! It’s not just with your child, model positive listening skills with other people too, especially when your kids are around.

2) Be very clear while giving tasks

According to child experts, a reasonable attention span to expect of a child is two to three minutes per year of their age. That means, 2 years old would have an attention span of four to six minutes, 4 years old would have eight to 12 minutes, and so on. That is why it is very important to avoid over-explaining to young children. Moreover, they struggle to multi-task, so rather than expecting them to follow a long list of instructions, be short and crisp while talking to them.

For instance, rather than telling your children, “Brush your teeth, take a bath, comb your hair, pack your bag, wear your shoes.” Break it down for them. Give them one or two tasks at a time. Tell what’s expected of them and ask them to repeat everything you’ve said to make sure that they are listening and understanding everything.

Always remember, the way you talk also matters, so don’t just shout your request from the kitchen or the living room. Maintain eye contact while talking to them.

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Why Parent-Teacher Collaboration Is a Must for the Holistic Development of a Young Child

Watching a kid grow up feels magical. From the day you hold them in your arms to the day they leave for college, the journey is filled with innocent love and loads of laughter.

When kids overgrow their parent’s laps, they have to get out of the protective shadow of their parents and enter the world of learning. And teachers, no doubt selected from some of the best preschools, are the first people who help in making this transition smooth for both the parents and the child.

However, this does not mean that the parents do not have any more role to play in the growth and learning of their child. Children have a lot to learn and this never-ending learning process is successful only with the teamwork of parents and teachers! When they work in tandem, it helps little ones achieve important learning milestones quicker, as parents and teachers are the two groups of people with whom children spend most of the time.

As the best preschool near Bopal, Ghuma and South Bopal, we have decoded the how and why of parent-teacher partnerships.

Benefits for parents

Parents are the first teachers to their child. They have an opportunity to nurture their child and advocate for their education. From having conversations with teachers during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up to monthly and weekly functions at school, there are various ways for a parent to communicate and establish a good relationship with their child’s teachers.

And what happens when parents have clear communication and strong partnership with teachers?

1. They understand the school’s academic programs better.
2. They gain insights into their kid’s growth and development at school.
3. They get ideas from teachers on how to support their kids in a better way, even after school.
   
4. They get to establish a bond of trust and support, if their child needs extra care.
5. Parents also gain confidence in their parenting skills after helping their kids at school.
6. Having an open channel of communication with the teachers means parents can confidently voice their important concerns.

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School’s back! Here’s How to Prepare Your Preschooler as the World Goes Offline

“No more pencils, no more books,

No more teachers, dirty looks.

Out for summer, out ’til fall,

We might not come back at all. School’s out!”

With the start of the pandemic, these lines by Alice Cooper felt true to a great extent. This song was written to be sung on the last day of school. But to everyone’s disappointment it turned out to be true for a much much longer time for kids who were about to start their journey; the preschoolers!

Schools, day care centres, public spaces, businesses, everything was shut. The pandemic affected each one of us equally, leaving us cooped up in our home. Parents of preschoolers had the most daunting of all tasks, to ensure their kids studied while being at home.

But the drop in covid cases in 2022 led to the reopening of schools and the start of preschool admissions as well. So these same parents are now facing the opposite and equally challenging problem of preparing their little ones for extended periods outside their home, and at school. And while this might be tough, but it is extremely important for parents to provide their kids with opportunities for social interaction & physical activities in their formative years.

After approximately 2 years of isolation & schooling from home, let’s get all of you parents ready for an unprecedented school year.

Introduce proper time management

Because of the stay-at-home regimen, studying, sleeping and eating schedules went haywire. When kids were attending classes online, they were not expected to get up early, dress up and leave for school. They were able to eat or play according to their wishes.

But now with the schools opening up, kids need to be more in control of their team. Hence, parents need to encourage consistency & establish a daily wake-up, getting dressed, breakfast, and family time routine for their kids.  Moreover, they need to monitor their television & internet timings after & before school.

Educate them about the new normal

Playing with friends, sharing lunches with them, will not be the same even after the reopening of schools. It is very crucial for a healthy preschool or day care experience that he/she understands the new school environment.

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