Some Resources for Parents of Preschoolers
By Natalie J. Hale

The age of twelve months to five years is a very intense and critical time in a child’s development — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As a parent, and especially if you’re the mother, the duty to see that these needs are met falls mostly on your shoulders. You want your child to become a good member of the Church, to be a good family member, and to just avoid seriously injuring himself or someone else before he reaches the ripe old age of five.

What are some methods, ideas, and solutions to serving your growing baby according to God’s correct principles?

I’ve broken down just some of the issues regarding the raising of preschool-age children into two basic categories. The first is communication and the second is routines.

Communication

The fact that communicating with children is necessary in the parent-child relationship is an obvious statement. And parenting would be a lot easier if we could know if our child is upset because he is hungry, sleepy, or needs a diaper change. Or sometimes it’s helpful to know if your child is just being a brat. Real communication therefore, during your child’s early development is very much needed. But because your child is too young to speak, your communication seems seriously hampered. There is, however, a possible solution.

Because they understand more than they can communicate, and have already developed a good portion of arm and hand movement, your child and you can have fun learning to communicate without words. It’s called sign language. Use it with babies and eventually, as speech kicks in, your child will start saying the word when she makes the sign. By applying this method, you not only make both of your lives easier, but also teach a skill (a second language) that your child will have for the rest of her life.

There are several books and DVDs available to instruct parents on how this silent communication really works. Some very popular titles are Sign With Your Baby by Dr. Joseph Garcia and Baby Signs by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn (available here http://enlightenedhomemaker.com/bookclub.htm).

Put simply, this is how baby sign language works: Every time you use a word like Daddy, say it while doing the American Sign Language hand motion for father. Although some circumstances may lessen the effectiveness of this method, you should see results rather quickly. Much depends on the readiness of your baby and your consistency as the parent and teacher. You can’t get them to do things if you can’t communicate with them, and sign language just might be the common language you both can use.

Routines

Having an established routine is an intergenerational rule that children and their parents should eat, drink, and live by.  If you want to have a happy baby and to keep yourself from going bonkers, perhaps a routine for everything is in order. Recommendations include naptimes, mealtimes, playtime, outdoor activities, and even baths.

There are several benefits to finding a routine that works for you and your baby. Here are only a few:

1. Routines help maintain a learning atmosphere.

2. Your baby will learn that there are rules and regulations to live by.

3. A busy kid is a happy kid. So long as he is busy, you lessen the chance of boredom. And we all know that when boredom sets in, that’s when the real trouble starts.

4. You will have something habitual to fall back on when something difficult arrives like sleep deprivation.

Your preschooler’s routines should also include fun educational activities. Introduce him incrementally to shapes, sizes, sounds, colors, numbers, letters, vocabulary words and even foreign languages. Such activities could include:

Sturdy push toys, like doll strollers or trucks designed for riding or pushing. These are really popular and can be found at any store that carries preschool toys. You might also try yard or garage sales for discount prices.

Next are books. I’m sure you’ve already heard this one before, but there’s no end to the good results of reading to children. Look for the recommended age range, like 12 to 18 months on the books. Pick stories that promote learning and good character traits like honesty or soft voices. Colors, shapes, and pictures of animals are especially attractive to the younger part of this age group.

You might find this next item a strange option to recommend, but I’ll use it anyway. I know many don’t want their kids to spend one more minute in front of the TV, but thanks to intuitive educational videos like Baby Mozart and Veggie Tales, there is positive entertainment out there that is readily available.

And lastly, is mealtime. I couldn’t write an article about preschoolers without touching on food, especially since it’s during these years that your baby begins eating solids, using basic utensils, and also graduates from the high chair to a booster seat.

If you are still using a high chair, keep it over a tile floor. This will save your carpet from the food that children of this age often fail to get into their mouths. If you have the high chair in a carpeted area, put an old rug or a large, unopened garbage bag under the chair. When the meal is over, remove the bag and shake the food into the garbage.

Listen to your baby. If a certain food doesn’t agree with her, you’ll know. Learn what she likes and save it for the end of the meal. This way she’ll eat her veggies first, leaving the fun food for last.

If buying jarred baby food is just too expensive, try purchasing a small, hand-cranked food grinder. This way you can grind your own bananas or peas into a smooth, healthy meal. This grinder should be easy to clean and have no sharp blades.

Although the years from baby to childhood may seem daunting to a parent, they can also be very fun and the perfect time to establish good patterns of communication and daily activities that are fun, safe, and educational.

Natalie Hale is the editor of the official Enlightened Homemaker newsletter. Each issue includes an article and activity for parents of young children. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.enlightenedhomemaker.com