What Beingness A Stay-At-Home Mom Taught Me Nearly Tyke Evolution (That A Ph.D. Didn't!)

{I may receive got a Ph.D. inward Human Development, but the best lessons I've learned inward kid evolution receive got been equally a stay-at-home mom}


I unremarkably create non speak nigh my personal life equally good much on this blog, however, I receive got been reflecting on things I've learned from my kids in addition to I felt it was fourth dimension to set some downward on (digital) paper. 

It's been over a yr right away since my oldest boy started schoolhouse total time. For those of you lot who are stay-at-home parents, you lot know that sending your kid to schoolhouse total fourth dimension is similar graduation twenty-four hours for you. I felt this intensely. As I watched his lilliputian 5-year-old torso run (literally) into school, I felt that minute was 5+ years inward the making. As a stay-at-home parent, I had spent the lastly five years pouring my heart, soul, time, in addition to unloosen energy into him then that, inward large part, he would live laid upwards for school. Not exactly prepared inward the educational sense, but also confident, happy in addition to emotionally laid upwards to live inward a classroom in addition to interact amongst his peers. Of course, I receive got much to a greater extent than lofty parenting goals equally good but this was a large one. There was a tinge of sadness inward it for me, but I also felt proud of him in addition to glad that he seemed to a greater extent than than eager to acquire encounter this novel experience.

Now his lilliputian blood brother is inward that fun, sometimes challenging stage betwixt toddlerhood in addition to preschool. He in addition to I are offset 1 time once to a greater extent than this journeying of learning in addition to uncovering that volition eventually receive got him to the door of kindergarten too.


ve learned inward kid evolution receive got been equally a remain What Being a Stay-at-Home Mom Taught Me About Child Development (that a Ph.D. didn't!)

Child Development Lessons Learned

As I hold back dorsum at some of the lessons I've learned from kid #1, I view it was a proficient fourth dimension to part how these insights receive got truly added to my agreement of kid development. As all parents know, children are the best teachers. I've read many a child evolution bookve learned inward kid evolution receive got been equally a remain What Being a Stay-at-Home Mom Taught Me About Child Development (that a Ph.D. didn't!), but I truly didn't know anything until I had children of my ain in addition to learned day-to-day what kid evolution truly means.

1. Observe closely. Sure, nosotros are all to a greater extent than or less our kids a lot; many hours a twenty-four hours inward some cases, but how oft create nosotros truly regain what they are doing; what they are learning. This is a lesson I learned rattling early on amongst my maiden off son, but alone truly came to appreciate a few years later.

As an infant, unopen observation meant trying to sympathize why he cried then easily, what movements or activities truly helped soothe him. I've written earlier nigh colic and perhaps that's what he had but perhaps it was exactly his temperament. Either way, unopen observation is what helped me "decode" his behaviour in addition to larn nigh his emerging personality.



Later, equally he became a toddler, unopen observation helped me truly sympathize when he was working on a novel physical or cognitive skill. We tin unremarkably country when a immature kid is working on a novel physical science similar walking or crawling. What nigh cognitive skills? By closely observing sometimes you lot tin country when they're lilliputian brains are laid upwards for agreement numbers or spatial concepts similar "under," "over," or "behind."

2. Let your child's interests Pb you. I truly don't create whatever type of formal homeschooling amongst my kids but I create attempt to comprise equally much learning into our daily activities equally I can. With rattling immature children, they receive got such express attending spans that this is truly the best way learning happens inward my experience. It exactly feels similar play to them in addition to nosotros all know that's the best type of learning for lilliputian ones anyway.

Once my boy reached belatedly toddlerhood/early preschool age, it became clear that his interests would receive got to Pb our learning activities. Maybe it was exactly his personality, but he unremarkably had no involvement inward most activities or crafts that I exactly suggested off the exceed of my head. The activities or books that included something he was interested inward were e'er a much to a greater extent than appealing.

I scream upwards many children are similar inward this regard. I scream upwards this is why some immature children create create inward conventional schoolhouse settings--simply because the topics concur lilliputian involvement to them. Many of the topics that adults experience are "educational" or "seasonally topical" don't brand much sense to lilliputian kids. In her recent 5 Common Child Development Myths...Debunked. It covers exceed parenting questions nigh attachment, spanking, spoiling in addition to more. 
3. Go to the library a lot...and non exactly for storytime. I beloved libraries. I desire my kids to beloved libraries. When my boy was a toddler nosotros would acquire to the library in addition to attempt to acquire to storey time. Note the discussion "try." He would seldom sit down downward long plenty to head to to a greater extent than than iii minutes of the story. I would oft move out frustrated in addition to downtrodden, thinking I was doing something incorrect in addition to that my kid would never relish books. Well, I finally learned my lesson (and learned my son's temperament) in addition to decided nosotros would exactly acquire to the library to play or explore whatever he wanted to explore. That worked much better. Fast frontward a span of years in addition to he was able to sit down through storey time, but he also would convey books to me to read to him at home.

If your kid is similar mine in addition to volition seldom sit down through storey time, it's soundless a slap-up experience to acquire to the library. Most libraries receive got lilliputian toys or a play expanse for immature children. I scream upwards exactly existence surrounded past times books is slap-up in addition to the beloved for books volition eventually rub off on them. My younger boy is much the same way, but he soundless likes picking out books in addition to using the figurer check-out system. Picture books, fifty-fifty for somewhat older children, are cardinal to non alone linguistic communication evolution but also visual literacy.

4. Be patient. Okay, patience is a science that many of us parents create create amongst maintaining. I create create amongst patience on a daily basis. Spending your days amongst immature children is taxing on most of us, but patience inward many forms is a virtue that reaps many benefits.

Patience, piece your preschooler struggles to set on his/her shoes, is 1 thing, but patience amongst the development of your kid is a whole other concept. Child development is a process, non a race. Barring whatever developmental delays, most children acquire through the procedure of learning in addition to growing inward their ain unique way, but at a similar trajectory.

I truly view my maiden off boy would never live potty trained. We view he was laid upwards when he was a few months shy of 3, but it took some other almost vi months until he was truly completely build clean in addition to dry out all the fourth dimension every day. I read all those articles nigh "potty develop your kid inward iii days" but to no avail. Ultimately, it exactly took patience on our job in addition to him truly wanting to create it himself. No amount of bribing, cajoling, or talking him into would work.

The same matter happened amongst my 2d boy giving upwards his pacifier. We tried every technique inward the book, but he had to eventually exactly give it upwards himself when he was truly ready. I scream upwards talking nigh it amongst him helped, along amongst watching a few videos in addition to reading books nigh giving it up. Ultimately, though he had to live laid upwards in addition to 1 twenty-four hours he exactly threw it inward the trash.



Many aspects of kid evolution are similar this. We, equally parents, desire certainly phases to live over or nosotros desire our kid to encounter certainly developmental milestones. When it comes downward to it, however, evolution goes at the mensuration that's correct for each private child. We tin assistance displace things inward the correct direction. We create receive got to innovate potty preparation or the view of giving upwards the pacifier, but amongst many of these changes, the kid has to desire to brand the change.

Stay tuned for a few to a greater extent than lessons learned inward the next spider web log post.

**this postal service contain affiliate links




Favorite Resources for Stay-at-Home Moms:

Early Years Activity Plans--ready-made plans then you lot don't receive got to acquire sucked into the Pinterest vortex




ve learned inward kid evolution receive got been equally a remain What Being a Stay-at-Home Mom Taught Me About Child Development (that a Ph.D. didn't!)



Self-care is important; this book helps driblet dead along things inward perspective


Perfect for Pinning:

ve learned inward kid evolution receive got been equally a remain What Being a Stay-at-Home Mom Taught Me About Child Development (that a Ph.D. didn't!)

Comments