Toddlers need to learn some social skills before beginning their school life. Otherwise they will feel out of place in the school atmosphere with so many strange kids and people around. In such cases, they will take more time to settle easily into school life. Therefore, combining childcare with some early learning activities becomes important for toddler development.
Toddlers need to be sent to a good nursery or pre-school setting, or spend some time in a playgroup where they can mingle and get familiar with other kids and elders other than their parents, or other family members. Other than learning to deal with new people, they will also learn other social skills such as sharing, playing together and spend some time quietly to study new things. Most importantly, they will learn to get along with out their parents.
Before admitting a toddler to any nursery, playgroup or pre-school, parents must visit the place several times and check whether the kids there are happy and cheerful; friendliness and cooperation of the staff, and the safety and neatness of the school and its surroundings.
Once you have fixed your mind about the efficacy of the institute then help your child to adjust and settle in the new surroundings. This can be done by being with the kid in the same room for some time during the first few days or somewhere nearby and going home after telling him/her that you will be back to take him/her home, or come back in between to check how he/she is. Also, inform the caretaker about your child’s particularities such as his/her preferences, habits or anything that is special.
Toddlers quarrel even with their best of friends over some possessions, but well-trained caretakers or their representatives can handle this, or similar other problems. Sharing toys or co-operation is not a toddler’s forte, and such social skills take some time to learn. So, be patient and if the institute is a good one the child will pick up enough social skills in due time to stand by him/her when a new life at a school begins.
Posted on February 28th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Behavior, Child Care, Learning, Toddler, school
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