My Garden of Thoughts: Reflection #12 -- Parent--Preschooler Interactions

 

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/aug2018/promoting-powerful-interactions

    Promoting the overall well-being of a Preschooler's development was the central focus of this week's reading assignment in Chapter 6 of Heath's textbook. What the chapter did best was outline the specific ways parents can form their interactions into meaningful moments for their young children that will balance their emotional, physical, cognitive, and nutritional needs. Another great topic within the reading was its section that centered on Personal and Family Life Skills. Because of preschooler's progressing motor skills at their age, they are able to begin taking on more responsibility as a member of the family. This is when parents should start to assess what tasks they can allow their young child to take on so they can add new skills into their development gradually. However, the textbook forewarned that parents should use caution in what responsibilities they give to their children. The tasks assigned to them should not be outside their abilities or skills. Even though things like chores are a great way to build strong motor skills and develop a child's work ethic, they should be age appropriate tasks. Otherwise, the child can become frustrated or overwhelmed by the amount of work required of them that they don't know how to accomplish. 

    The challenges and concerns of parents with preschoolers was also an interesting section of this chapter. I think the textbook was correct when it said the most consistent issues parents might face when their children are this age is sleeping problems or sibling conflict. When working at my job as a desk receptionist for a children's therapy clinic, I encounter several conversations with parents where they explain the issues they are experiencing with their child. Many of these range from extreme behavioral issues, to common issues with basic developmental milestones. I have noticed that some parents are hypersensitive to all of their child's behaviors and sometimes want to diagnose them with something they don't have (like ADHD), where as other parents might have waited too long to figure out how to best meet the needs of their child and are now seeking help with treatment. From the text book's perspective, I appreciate their approach in the section about challenges and concerns for youngsters. They inform parents that though children might experience problem areas while growing up, many of these issues are only temporary once a better routine is established for the child or the parents guide their kids to understand the best way to handle events like sibling conflict.

    In the event of sleep issues, even though "most sleep problems are amenable to treatment, and much of the negative effect on family functioning is alleviated with successful intervention", the reading still addresses how these situations affect families (pg. 192). When children have issues with sleeping, it can cause fatigue, stress, and a negative emotional environment within the family home. It is important to note, states the textbook, that during these times parents need to see if sleep issues are a factor of other things going on in a child's life. Creating a ritualistic routine for a child around bedtime usually helps in lowering the resistance the child has in going to bed. Most of the time, youngsters have difficulty calming down, so it takes an external force, like a parent reading a bedtime story, to help them focus on settling down for the evening. This gives them ways to develop self-soothing "muscles" that they can use in their older years.

    As for sibling conflict, the textbook actually states that "these arguments and debates usually have a positive influence on children’s developing ability to resolve conflict" and parents can rest in the fact that their children are learning essential relational skills (pg. 195). However, if parents begin to notice aggressive behaviors developing around this time in their child's life, they should address the root cause. Sometimes it's the child's temperament or stress levels that cause aggressive behavior, but parental tension or harsh parenting techniques could also be a large factor. These issues need to be addressed as quickly as possible in order to keep one's child on a healthy developmental track.

- E.