Preschool Pointers

I came across a wonderful article about preschoolers in Parenting Magazine:Early Years (Aug 2010).
It was advice from preschool teachers about how to help  your child listen, share and learn. These are the ones I found the most useful and will be implementing in my home:

Listening:

• Grab their attention with a bell, clap or song.
• Make eye contact: get to their level
• Ask your child to repeat an instruction

Sharing:

• Use a timer to give fair time with a toy
• Buy multiples of items like crayons
• Help them decide on something else to do: Do you think you can play with a ball while you wait your turn?

Picking up

• Stick to a routine- like picking up toys after dinner everyday.
• Give advance warning: "bathtime in 5 minutes"
• Show them how: "Clean up your toys", means nothing to a child, but "Put your legos in the right box." is clearer. 
• Make and "I'll be right back" sign for a child to put near a block castle, or unfinished puzzle, so that mom know(and other siblings) he/she is not done yet.

Getting Along

• Ask "what" instead of "why"... eg. "What do you think your friend is feeling?"
• Encourage "chill-out" instead of time out.
• Comfort the hurt child first. Deflects the attention the instigator may have wanted off of them, so they see that bad behavior does not get attention.

I really like a lot of these, and even though some are familiar, it's good to be reminded of them so that I remember them in critical moments.

Love and listening,
Kerry, the Momster