Parenting Tips - Pre-schooler’s

 

Pre-schooler’s

Bedtime routines

Different families have different bedtime routines. What time children go to bed and how they do it depends on:

• the age of the children • the family's routines • the family's culture.

• Some children go to sleep easily and happily, some don't and this can be for a whole range of reasons. • Preschool children need long, uninterrupted sleeps - about 10 hours a night is common.

• A bedtime routine helps children relax. Dinner, bath time, stories and a special, quiet time with parents are all parts of a routine. Have a drink or food an hour or so before bed if necessary and a last trip to the toilet before being tucked in.

• Many preschoolers are ready for bed around seven o'clock. A consistent bed time is important and leaves you time for yourself or for the rest of your family.

Pre-schooler’s

Values

• Children are not born knowing what is acceptable and unacceptable. They watch how you behave and how you treat them and others.

• By visiting other people and their homes children discover that different people have different rules and views. Making them aware of these different beliefs and values and how these relate to your own can be a good idea.

• In the end children decide their own standards of behavior. These develop from:

• adult approval and disapproval of behavior • growing self control • being aware of other people's feelings

• wanting to be like their parents • a growing understanding and use of words • understanding cause and effect

• learning what behavior is allowed in the family • Family conversations.

• By about the age of seven most people expect children to know what is acceptable and what isn't and to act accordingly.

• You can be a model for your children by discussing and living according to your own beliefs and values. But remember, children grow and their views may change with age and experience.