Tips for parents in sending kids to preschool

Tips for parents in sending kids to preschool

JAKARTA (JP): It is still a month until school admission
begins in July, but anxious parents are in the midst of weighing
their children's education options.

For the concerned parent, the selection process begins in
preschools and lasts until their offspring are safely ensconced
in a university many years down the line.

Mothers are usually nervous before sending their children to
preschools and their attitude, including their approach to
telling them what to do inside the class, can unnecessarily
stress the child.

Here are several tips parents can use in selecting the right
schools, preparing their children for school and becoming
involved in their studies.

1. Even very young children have the ability to socialize
themselves at an early age. A study in California showed that
nine-month-old infants can communicate and socialize themselves
in their own way if exposed to contact with others.

2. When they are three years old, children need to socialize
with others. Give them opportunities to play with their peers and
develop friendships.

3. Playing is not only an entertaining and relaxing process
for children, but also a means for them to learn, intellectually
and emotionally.

4. To reach their learning goals, give children a special area
to keep toys and books. Make sure that the room is designated as
their own, where they can play and untidy it as they wish without
earning their parents' ire.

5. When children can draw or create, parents should encourage
their children's creativity by displaying the works in a special
place, such as the family room.

6. Find a non-denominational day care center or one which
teaches according to your religious affiliation.

7. If parents prefer to enroll their children in playgroups,
they have to be sure a simple but regulated curriculum exists
aimed at helping develop motor skills, language, socialization
and discipline.

8. Make sure that the teachers have an adequate educational
background in teaching children. They should be high school
graduates at least.

9. Determine whether children receive lessons about morality,
ethics and religion at the day care. Make sure children are
taught to do simple prayers.

10. Parents have no reason to worry about their children's
interaction with others when they join a playgroup or preschool.
Children have more chances to socialize and cooperate with
others. The experience will help them in building relationships
when they grow up.

11. Learning language from poetry and songs will help children
develop their imagination.

12. Parents whose children join play groups or preschools
usually give more attention to their education in the future. Ask
them simple questions about their day -- what did they do at
school, how were their friends and how do they like their
teachers and friends. These questions encourage children to
discuss their problems.

13. To develop closer relationships with children, parents can
take them to the nearest bookstores or libraries and encourage
them to love reading.

14. Be aware of your child's appearance. Teachers prefer to
have clean and well-dressed students, and will be more likely to
consider such children brighter than average. There is the
likelihood that teachers also treat these students better.

15. Do not expect too much from children. Overly high
expectations could be impossible to attain for the children, with
failure cutting into their self-confidence. Children lacking
confidence will do everything their parents or teachers tell
them, and fail to develop their own individual interests.

16. Parents who treat their children as independent
individuals, let them express themselves and do not criticize
them too often will provide them with bigger opportunities to
succeed in the future.

17. Giving rewards, credit or small presents to children for
their hard work will be of more benefit than punishing them for
their mistakes. Children will be more motivated if their parents
respond positively to their work.

18. Communicate with your child's teachers on their children's
progress inside and outside the classroom, focusing not only on
studies, but also on relationships with their peers. (yan)