For preschool children, the school environment is new and exciting. It can also be challenging and a place where behavior issues appear. To prepare your child for preschool and minimize behavior problems, be sure to establish good sleep and dietary habits. Make daily connection time between the parent and child a priority, establish a relationship with the teacher and keep the expectations for preschool behavior and learning at an age-appropriate level.
A Good Night’s Sleep for the Preschool Student
The importance of a good night’s sleep cannot be overlooked, especially for a young child with a day of preschool ahead of him. According to the National Sleep Foundation, children ages three to five need 11-13 hours of sleep each night. It is important that your preschooler have a regular routine that guarantees enough sleep at night so that he will be well rested for each preschool session.
Preschool Children Need A Healthy Diet
Many people believe there is a strong connection between diet and behavior. The Feingold Association is a non-profit organization that encourages families to cut artificial food additives, including colors and flavors, out of the diet. They maintain that eating foods with these ingredients can lead to behavior problems, especially in young children. If your preschooler is having a difficult time at school each day, it may be worth it to look at his overall diet and make some changes. Contact the Feingold Association for more information.
Parent and Child Connection Time
According to Pam Leo, author of Connection Parenting, children who spend adequate connection time with their parents have better over-all behavior. Connection time is special one-on-one time that a parent and child spend together. Ideally, parents will make a point of having daily connection time with their preschool child.
Establish a Relationship with the Preschool Teacher
The parents and teacher should work as a team to help the child succeed in preschool. In Hold on to Your Kids, author Gordon Neufeld, points out that children need to know that their parents trust the teacher that will be caring for them. Children will feel more secure at school when they know their parents are leaving them with another trustworthy, caring adult. Parents should be willing to establish a friendly relationship with the teacher and, in essence, hand off their child to her during the preschool hours.
Keep Preschool Learning Expectations at an Age-Appropriate Level
Know what your child is capable of learning and doing at preschool. Don’t expect him to learn how to read or write. Louise Bates Ames, author of Your Four-Year-Old: Wild and Wonderful, reminds us that, in the long run, it doesn’t matter if a child learns how to read at age three or four or even seven. Don’t push him to learn his letters, but let him follow his natural curiosity in whatever direction it takes him. If he is interested in letters and reading, then let him pursue it on his terms. If he’s not interested in letters yet, then that is fine too.
The preschool years can be the most exciting time of a child’s early life. Follow some basic guidelines to help prepare your child for preschool each day. Be sure your child is getting adequate sleep and that he maintains a healthy diet. Find time every day for parent and child connection time, establish a relationship with the teacher and keep your expectations at an age-appropriate level.
Sources:
National Sleep Foundation Website
"New British Study Shows Additives Trigger Hyperactivity", Pure Facts: The Newsletter of the Feingold Association of the United States. October 2007, Vol. 31, No. 8.
Feingold Association of the United States (FAUS), 554 East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901, or phone (631) 369-9340
Neufeld Ph.D., Gordon and Mate, M.D., Gabor. Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers. Ballantine Books. New York. 2004.
Leo, Pam. (2005). Connection Parenting: Parenting through Connection instead of Coercion, Through Love instead of Fear. Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, Inc.: Deadwood, Oregon.
Louise Bates Ames, Ph.D. & Frances L. Ilg, M.D. Your Four-Year-Old: Wild and Wonderful. Dell Publishing, 1976.
