Invest in Kids Resource for Parents of Preschoolers
Free Online Resource Provides Information, Games and Activities
Jun 9, 2009
Babies and young children are busy learning and growing so much that it is easy, as a parent, to forget that so much of what children experience and learn during the first five years will set them on a path for life. Parents and caregivers have an important role to play in providing a loving, understanding, reasonable and protective environment for young children in which to grow. Based on research that showed that one in three Canadian children has an emotional, social or learning problem, the Invest in Kids program was created to provide resources for parents and caregivers of children under five.
Developmental Ages and Stages
An important part of knowing how and when to set reasonable limits on your child's behavior is knowing what can be reasonably expected of a child who is a certain age. Developmentally, many children are unable to stay dry overnight at the age of three or four even if they are toilet trained during the day, so punishing a four year old for wetting the bed isn't based on a reasonable expectation. The Invest in Kids website has a reference list of expected developmental abilities based on the age of a child, from newborn to five years old, which can help parents know when to expect their child to be able to crawl, follow directions or share.
Comfort, Play and Teach
The Invest in Kids researchers developed a parenting approach called Comfort, Play and Teach, which is a set of guidelines and activities that parents and caregivers can engage in during everyday activities with their children. This approach builds self-esteem and a positive relationship between parent and child, is easy to follow and requires no special equipment or materials. Invest in Kids provides a free weekly newsletter for parents interested in this parenting approach, which provides age-appropriate activities that provide opportunities to comfort, play with and teach children.
Fun Activities for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers
The Invest in Kids website also contains an activity center with hundreds of Comfort, Play and Teach activity suggestions, grouped together by age. Whether you're looking for an easy recipe to make together in the kitchen or a fun song or fingerplay to entertain your baby, the activity center has a free, easy to find activity for you and your child. Each activity is paired with ways to build different skills within the Comfort, Play and Teach approach.
Positive parenting feels good intuitively, and is backed by substantial research that shows that children grow best in an environment of unconditional love and reasonable boundaries for behavior. The Invest in Kids website is full of information and free resources for parents who want to learn how to increase their positive parenting skills during the formative baby, toddler and preschool years.
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