Why Do Children Hit?
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
There are two behaviours that are almost guaranteed to get you doubting your talents as a parent – and questioning the genes your child has inherited! Finding out that your pre-schooler has hit another child, or bitten them. There’s a wide variation among children, but both behaviours are considered normal in very young children. Neither behaviour has anything to do with a child’s parenting (or gene pool), and neither means the child is headed for a lifetime of thuggery and incarceration. And, both behaviours have similar origins. Like the rest of us, toddlers get bored, hungry, tired, exaspe ..read more
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Swings – More Than Just Fun
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
Babies and children love movement. As infants, children love to sway; as they get older, they need to move. Swings have been fulfilling these needs and delighting both children and infants, largely unchanged, for thousands of years. As early as the 5th Century B.C. Greek artists have captured children and women swinging on swings. Whether it’s the latest hi-tech swing set with all the safety features, or an old tyre hanging from a tree branch, swinging has near universal appeal for children. But it’s not just about fun. This enjoyable activity also has many health and developmental benefits ..read more
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Making Marks
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
Making marks is an important milestone for preschoolers – although this may not always be easy to appreciate when the ‘marks’ are made on a bedroom wall in permanent marker… Around the age of two, children discover the sheer pleasure of making marks. They pick up any crayon, pencil or pen and they scribble. It’s easy to dismiss the different lines and circles children create as just ‘scribbles’, but actually, children are mark-making, and it’s the first step towards writing. Holding and controlling a pen takes a lot of skill; skills involving hand-eye co-ordination and muscle control in both ..read more
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It’s Hard Being Good All Day!
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
It’s often claimed that children save their worst behaviour for their parents – and there can seem to be an awful lot of truth in that statement, especially when our child comes home from preschool! There’s a reason. When our child is at preschool, they’re working hard at self-regulating. Self-regulation requires them to control two things: their emotions and their impulses. At preschool our child will be trying hard not to cry when they’re hurt or angry (emotional control) and they’ll be trying to follow the routines and timetables set by others (impulse control). By contrast, when a child i ..read more
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I Can’t Do It!
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
It’s not only children that fall back on “I can’t do it!” It’s not only children that want to give up when things don’t look easy. And, it’s not only children who find it unhelpful to be on the receiving end of a righteous sermon insisting “you really can do this – it’s not hard”. We can all relate. But as counter-intuitive as it may seem, part of encouraging independence in our child is to allow them to think that they can’t do something – that sets a benchmark by which their future feelings of satisfaction, confidence and self-esteem can be measured as they strive towards, and con ..read more
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Attention Seeking
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
Children need attention like a plant needs sun and water. – Rudolf Dreikus Children are really skilled at finding ways to get adults to pay attention to them. Some of their ways are cute, like cuddles and hugs and smiles and jokes. Others, not so welcome; like defiance, aggression, tantrums, whining or back chat. Children work hard to get attention because attention really is a legitimate need for them. Children need attention to grow and thrive. It’s developmentally normal, probably rooted in some ancient need to be noticed and protected by the adults in the tribe, and even if it’s not helpf ..read more
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Brushing Teeth
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
Few young children are consistently cooperative when it comes to brushing teeth. And of course, even if they’re keen, young children lack the manual dexterity to do a thorough job. Brushing properly and regularly doesn’t just benefit our children while they are growing up; it sets the stage for a lifetime of great teeth, good oral hygiene, and easy dental check-ups. If brushing teeth is a battle at your place, try these tips: Make brushing teeth fun. Children (like us!) have a natural aversion to being forced to do something. Turn it into something they want to do. Bring in a stuffed animal ..read more
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Feeding Myself
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
Young children love to try to feed themselves. Pretty much as soon as we introduce them to solid food, children start to show signs of wanting to be independent – be it reaching for the spoon, or trying to take food off their plate. Unfortunately for parents, children don’t move straight to knife and fork and proper table etiquette! They use their hands, and much of their food ends up on their face, or on the floor… Messy eating and playing with food is a normal part of a child’s development when they are learning to eat independently – and it’s a very important stage for a child. It’s not ju ..read more
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Supporting Scissor Skills
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
Using scissors is a skill that is not always easy to master for pre-schoolers with tiny hands. It’s an important skill that prepares children for handwriting and using a pencil. In order to master scissors, a child needs to be able to use their index finger, middle finger, and thumb separately from their other fingers. You can help your pre-schooler develop their scissor skills by introducing them to activities that strengthen their hand and finger muscles and improve their bilateral coordination. Don’t just hand them a pair of child-safe scissors and a piece of paper! ? The skills can b ..read more
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Dealing with Disappointment
LightBulb Learning Blog
by lblearning
2y ago
It’s a fact. Our child is going to face multiple disappointments throughout their life. Disappointments are not only a part of life, they’re invaluable in building the necessary coping skills to succeed in life. Of course it’s hard to see our children hurting, and our natural instincts are to rush in and fix things. But it’s going to be much harder for our children to cope with their inevitable big upsets later in life if they haven’t learned to live through their small ones first. So, how can we prepare our child to handle life’s inevitable disappointments? We can do a bit of background wor ..read more
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