Photo Courtesy of Google Images and madieracityschools.org

              I have too many posts on baby’s and their milestones, and sometimes I forget to post about the advanced toddler or what many professionals call them “preschoolers”.  In my opinion this has been a great stage in my parenting life.  I have enjoyed watching my now four year old son grow and learn.  He’s slowly growing out of the tantrum and terrible two stages and I’m lovin’ it! It’s amazing watching his face light up when he learns something new, it’s fun, exciting, and a proud moment for me as his mom. 

            So what kind of milestones am I talking about? Well in previous posts, I have talked about preschool writing and the expectations teachers have for these little  ones at the age of three.  It’s really intimidating as a parent, because you start asking yourself questions like: Is my child behind? Am I doing my job at home by teaching him? Is this going to become a problem in the future?  And the list goes on…Trust me I know how hard we are on ourselves, especially as moms.  So if it’s intimidating for us as parents, just imagine how your child feels…in a new environment expected to understand the world.  It’s pretty scary.

            So If you’re parent of a preschooler or advanced toddler, this will be beneficial information for you.  Remember all this information is coming directly from my personal experiences with my own children.  I have been learning so much about my son and myself in this process.    So here’s my tips and advice for A Day in the Life of a Preschooler.

The Preschooler and Communication:

            My son took a very long time to communicate and converse with me.  He didn’t always answer me when I asked him questions, he wouldn’t respond “Yes” or “No” and of course I worried because other kids his age were doing this well.  Recently my son has made some vast improvements in this area.  It’s amazing how it happened, and actually a lot of it comes from how you communicate with them. 

            What does that mean? For example, if you baby talk to them for so long, they will babble.  I had this problem because I thought, “he doesn’t understand me” Wrong. They do understand and they communicate in many different ways.  So As my son started to develop and grow I began talking to him like a person, not a baby.  This helped him.  He started following directions and responding to me in full sentences. 

            It was such a great moment for me, because it made me realize that he got it on his own time.  There’s no schedule, he just picked it up.  They aren’t robots they are kids, and they grow and advance at different stages.  It’s Ok if yours isn’t there yet. 

My son traced his name, and at the bottom you can see that tried to write on his own! 🙂 Two thumbs up!!

The Preschooler and Writing:

            Writing? WHAT? As a preschooler? Yes! Many preschoolers learn how to write starting at the age three.  I never knew this, because my son did not attend a formal preschool setting at three years old.  He was home with me and I was teaching him accordingly (At least I thought).  I didn’t think they had to know how to write their names, or letters at three.  My son actually struggled with the alphabet.  He’s still learning how to sound out (we use the phonics system in this house) and recognize letters.  It’s taking him time and I am working with him in a slower pace so he can grasp it. 

            He has reached a major milestone in my opinion.  He’s now tracing his name (first and last) and pretty much anything he sees.  The missing link in this process was the technique.  He wasn’t sure what hand to use, or how to hold the pencil, and now he’s on his way to writing success!

            I knew I needed some help in this area so I reached out and started him in preschool classes through our city community center.  These classes have helped him tremendously.  The teacher and teacher’s aide are amazing, there’s only about 11 kids in the class so my son still receives that one on one attention that he’s used to.  She gave me some great tips and tools to help him and I was working with him here at home.  He is doing great and I am so proud of him.

The Preschooler in Social situations:

            Being a stay at home mom/stay at home kid can be tough when you get to social situations.  How your child interacts with other kids is very important for his development.  I used to think, “well all he needs is his mommy” while this is true in some cases, he also needs to be around other kids in a social environment. 

            We would do parks, and of course we do church, and he has cousins his age.  However, school has helped me and him step out of our shell and be social.  Although he has some trouble sitting still, sharing, and sometimes hitting  the great thing is, he’s learning and his peers are getting to know him.  

The Preschooler and POTTY TRAINING:

            UGH! Probably one of the hardest things I’ve had to do as a parent, is Potty train! My son was very difficult and it took him a long time to understand the concept.  I tried charts, stickers, graphs, and cold turkey and none of these things really helped him.  Part of it was my consistency, it was easier to put on a pull up instead of having him go in the potty.  I know, I know, many of you are thinking well he’s four?? He is now four and totally POTTY TRAINED!! He was terrified of the toilet and one day (thanks to my husband) he just started going.  He will even go in public places.  We’re still working on number two, but he does that in his training toilet.  This was a huge milestone for him.  He/we struggled for so long and he just one day got it.  I was so thrilled and excited for him because it’s a really huge accomplishment. 

            If your child is struggling, try the tips I’ve provided on my previous blog about potty training.  Although they helped me in the process, he ultimately got it when the time was right for him.  This will happen for your child as well.  Pushing them too hard can sometimes cause them to regress and completely turn away from toilet training altogether.  Take breaks in between and make it fun and exciting to the best of your ability.  I had a “Potty Party” for my son when he trained completely.  Stuff like that makes them want to continue to succeed. 

            Another thing to remember is that sometimes these milestones are met all at once.  My son starting advancing in most of these areas within the same month.  Sometimes we’re ready for them to move on to the next stage, but they may not be quite yet and we have to be understanding towards them because they sense our every emotion. 

            As moms we need to get creative and think outside of the box when it comes to our kids.  Sometimes the conventional way will work, while other kids learn in unconventional ways and that’s OK.  I have battled in these areas with my son, however I took the advice from his teachers and even other moms and he has made tremendous progress. 

            Like I always say, every kid is different and so is every stage of their life.  It’s an ongoing learning process for the entire family.  Working with them daily along with taking breaks and moving at a decent pace helps them, believe it or not.  I have noticed that in most cases my son regressed from many of his milestones because of me.  My attitude was not always in the right place and sometimes I would get frustrated and he would see that and give up on himself.  Like I said it’s a learning process and you learn and grow from your mistakes.  I’m learning that you will make them as your journey through parenthood continues. 

            Thanks for stopping by and remember that these tips are advice from a real mom just like you! Keep sharing my blog so that together we can strive for mommy success! 🙂

XOXO,

Reina