Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow…

Posted on May 19 2017


What a wonderful phrase! Reading it or hearing it may make you stop and wonder about nature and all the happenings of life.

You may have heard the saying, ‘that you only get out of your children what effort you put into them’. Much as the acorn bursts with energy and strives to become a big strong tree, parents should aim to fill their children with a great energy and be proud of them as they grow and develop.

Babies are born ready and eager to learn and the learning journey continues for life. They are inquisitive by nature and education is the power that stimulates and engages the learning. As a parent, one of the best gifts you can give, along with love and security, is to fill your children with a sense of knowledge and to stimulate their learning.

It is an extraordinary thing to observe children as they develop. The first five years of a child’s life is super important, as it is during this time that the brain develops quicker than at any other time.

As a parent, there are plenty of things that you can do to stimulate your child’s development and learning.

Here a few things that you can do during the early years, and remember, more than anything else it is the relationship you have with your child that will shape the way that they learn and grow:

    1. From very early on, your child’s main way of learning and developing is through play

    Playing is fun and a great relationship builder. By playing with your child, you are giving them the opportunity to explore, experiment, observe, solve problems and hopefully even learn from little mistakes that do happen along the way. Playing with your child is easy- you just have to make the time!

      2. Spend lots of time talking, listening and interacting with your child

      This helps your child learn the skills they needs for life, like communicating, thinking, solving problems, moving and interacting with other people and children. A really simple way to communicate with a baby, is to tell them what you are doing as you are doing it. Simple phrases like ‘it is bath time or it is playtime’ creates a sense of knowing and understanding. Babies love hearing their parent’s voices, so chat to your baby all day every day. Before you know it, they will be chatting back!

      3. Good nutrition provides your child with all the energy they require to grow and develop.

      Eating habits are formed from a very young age. Don’t be afraid to try new foods or simply change the way you serve the meals. Get a bit creative! We all know that children can be fussy eaters at times, but if your child is old enough to help in the kitchen, give them the opportunity to help prepare a meal. They are much more likely to want to try something they have prepared!

      4. As young children grow older they need opportunities to learn and socialise with other children of their age

      Group learning activities, such as mother’s groups, weekly interactive music or sport classes, reading time activities at local libraries and play dates are important activities to do with your child. These activities are enjoyable and the benefits are huge.
      It is important to remember that all children grow and develop at different rates. Most skills and events happen in the same order, but the age they happen might vary for each child, even for children in the same family. Just think about activities and learning experiences that are suitable for your child.

      After all, you know your child the best!

      Happy learning and playing!

      This Tree House Blog was written by: Good to Play Toys

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