Parenting+Preschoolers

**The Pre-Operational Period of Development**
The pre-operational period of cognitive development consumes children from the ages of two through six. This is the second of four stages that Piaget’s model classifies developmental processes. During this stage children use symbols to characterize different objects, thoughts, or actions. Many of the concepts that pre-school aged children make are not necessarily placed correctly, but they are beginning to get this idea of symbolic thinking. Young children are also not able to grasp what other’s are feeling. Egocentrism dominates this stage of development. This greatly impacts the way they treat friends and react to misbehavior. It is important for parents and caretakers to take into consideration that their young children are starting to become one within their own. Now that they are able to communicate more clearly and have a better grasp on the world around them, parents must begin to allow their children to make decisions while giving guidance towards the right goals. Due to the fact that pre-school children only can grasp one dimension, it is important for caregivers to limit complex situation. Beings that egocentrism is dominant, it is vital for caregivers to relate things back to their pre-school child so they can make a better connection to the situation. Overall, pre-school children need to gain independence while having an individual there to explain situations, give guidance, and increase their child’s cognitive development. Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. //Educational Psychology// //Interactive//. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Heath, Phyllis. //Parent-Child Relations: Theory Research, Context, and Application (2nd Edition)//. 2 ed. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.


 * Language & Preschoolers**

Live language is vital to children in their early years. It can predict the child's achievement in academics in later life. An example of live language is verbal dialogue between a parent and child. Television does not provide this. Parents can enhance the child's language skills by responding to the child along with other verbal comments. It is important to not correct a child's grammar while they are still in the learning process. It can inhibit the child's language development. Also, it is important for the parent to talk face - to - face with their child. This along with talking slower than normal will help the child in forming their words. It's important for parents to be aware of these things in order to help their child grow and develop the proper language skills.


 * Sleep Disturbance Related to Bed-Wetting**

It is important that children get enough sleep during this development period. When children do not get enough sleep, they can have a negative effect on the child. "Among preschoolers, a common problem associated with sleeping is enuresis, defined as repeated voiding of urine during the day or night into bed or clothes, with a frequency criteria of at least twice per week for at least 3 months." (Heath, 164) There are two reasons for enuresis and the first one is that the brain has not fully developed yet. Nervous system matures at different rates and it is known that boys bed-wet more than girls because it takes longer for their nervous system to mature. The second reason is family stress and behavioral disturbance. If there is stress in the family it can cause the child to bed-wet.

It is important for parents to understand that this is part of a child development. What can help a parent during this time is using bed pads and to be patient. It is very important to also understand that they cannot control bed-wetting and to make sure the child does not feel any ashamed or guilty for wetting the bed. Parents need to try and be encouraging to their child and to not get upset with them. There are devices out there that are suppose to help a child if they have a problem bed-wetting but these devices are not helpful. The devices only make a child feel ashamed because they are having troubles controlling their bladder. It is also important that parents understand how bed-wetting can make them feel and parents need to be understanding that this is just a stage and one day their child will be able to control bed-wetting.

Heath, Phyllis. //Parent-Child Relations: Theory Research, Context, and Application (2nd Edition)//. 2 ed. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

Preschool aged children can be very difficult sometimes. At this stage children believe that the world revolves around them and they can be very impatient at times. It is important to teach children proper self discipline at this age because the sooner they learn proper behavior the easier it will be for them to maintain this behavior as they grow older. In a poll taken by the nonprofit research organization Public Agenda, they found that only 34% of parents thought that they had taught their kids proper self discipline. If you want your kids to have self discipline, you need to show them that having self discipline can make them feel good about themselves. When children have self discipline it allows them to get along better with other children. There are steps that parents can take to make sure their kids are learning self discipline. Parents should set strict boundaries, reward children for doing a good deed, and parents can evaluate their own parenting methods. These are all ways that a child can learn self discipline. Learning self discipline is detrimental for preschoolers at this age. If children do not learn it early enough, it may be more difficult for the child to understand the meaning of self discipline when the child is older. This is very important that parents teach their children self discipline, because this is part of what a parent’s job entitles. Not only should parents teach important lessons like these to their kids, but it will also make the parent feel more accomplished that their child is learning how to be responsible. It is important that professionals working with families on this issue to work with not only the child, but also the parents to come up with some healthy and proactive ideas. By working with the family, it will help the professional learn new ideas of how they can improve upon helping families with this issue. Whitehead, Sandra. "How to Teach Kids Self-Discipline:Self-Control in a World That Screams 'Now!'" //Parenthood.com//. Dominion Enterprises, Feb. 2010. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
 * Teaching Preschoolers self discipline **