Helping Your Child Develop Socially

Social skills are defined as, the ability to communicate and interact with other without conflict or disharmony. Social skill development begins at infancy and progresses through stages as a child grows. It consists of teaching children how to interact, share and co-operate with others, how to build strong relationships that will last as well as social etiquette and good manners. The proper development of social skills will lay a firm foundation for your child's future.

Playing is the most natural way that a child educational and developmental skills grow and flourish, so interaction between parent and child play a vital part. The parent/child relationship is the most natural for developing social skills because loving, sensitive parents are emotionally connected and are best at nurturing empathy, emotional self-control and communication skills in their children. However, this is all preparation for your child's interaction with others.

Educational toys provide many ways for children to sharpen their social skills. Researchers have determined that educational toys provide ways for children to work together, share, discuss ideas about how best to solve problems and promote healthy competition as they learn to enjoy the company of one another.

So parents spend daily time with your children and help them practice positive social skills. Remember to point out both positive and negative behavior. Patiently and lovingly discouraging the negative and rewarding the positive so your child will become successful, popular, be able to resolve conflict with others, do well in school and possibly be the one that others look to for help.

Your Child's Physical Development

The physical development of of children is divided into two main areas, Gross Motor Skills and Fine Motor Skills. Motor skills are actions that involve the deliberate and controlled movements of muscles in the body. Gross motor skills are the large body movements that involve legs, arms and the entire body, these activities include crawling, walking, running, jumping, climbing, etc. Fine motor skills involve more precise and smaller movements that involve hands, fingers, wrist, feet, toes and eyes, these activities include eye-hand coordination, grasping objects, stacking objects, writing, etc.

Although both areas of motor skill development is a continuous progression over time, educational toys can play a major role in the development of fine motor skills for children from infancy to 6 years of age. The various shapes, colors and design configurations stimulate and challenge eye-hand coordination, visual tracking, shape and color recognition, depth perception, language development as well as providing hours of fun filled learning.

Your Child the Creative Genius

Early childhood education is basically defined as children learning through play. It is important that parents begin educating their children from infancy to six yeas of age by developing them physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, creatively and cognitively. This may sound as though parents need an advanced education in early childhood development but this is far from the truth. Certainly knowledge of this caliber would be a great asset, but children in this age group actually learn through play.

The main thing that parents can do is spend quality time interacting with their children and introduce into their play various things that promote the following crucial developmental areas...

Physical Development: Developing fine and gross motor skills. Basically movement is the key, crawling, walking, running, climbing, throwing, touching and eye-hand coordination.

Social Skills: Teaching children how to interact with others, how to share and co-operate with others, how to build strong relationship that will last as well as social etiquette and good manners.

Emotional Development: Building self-esteem, self-awareness, self-confidence, recognizing and understanding various feelings and emotions and how to use them positively.

Intellectual Development: Develop the ability for children to understand and relate to the world around them as well as to differentiate fantasy from reality.

Creativity: Developing unique and special abilities and talents

Cognitive Skills: Developing the ability to learn and solve problems.

Parents can accomplish these various educational and developmental skills simply by introducing educational toys into their child's play. So parents, keep interacting and develop your child, the creative Genius.

Kids can Sometimes be the Best Judges

Kids are fascinated and attracted to toys. Whether in a store, on television or through watching other children playing. Either way toys play a major part in a child's educational and developmental growth. However, a child's fascination for toy does not mean that all toys are good. How many times have you heard a child say while in a store or while watching television, "Can you get me that toy" or "I have always wanted that toy". Often times parents will purchase a toy for their child solely based on a fascination without finding out more information concerning the toy or not being able to discern between their child's fascination or true interest in a particular toy. The interesting thing is, it does not take long for a child to determine whether a toy is fun or boring, does it?

There are two things that parents can do that can help prevent them from purchasing toys that end up in the corner gathering dust. First, most toy manufactures as well as various news and consumer agencies use children to test toys. Parents can do a little research to find what toys are the most popular as well as age appropriate. However, parents must keep in mind that children have individual likes and dislikes, so this process will not always guarantee that their child will find a particular toy fun and entertaining.

The second way that parents can learn the difference between fascination and interest is simply by introducing educational toys into their child's lives at infancy. Research has shown that the brain develops at an incredible rate during infancy by increasing approximately 60% in size in the first year. So how does this give parents an advantage when it comes to purchasing toys that their children will enjoy?

Introducing educational toys to your child during this crucial period gives your child's brain a "head start". Nerve cells called neurons connect to each other to make circuits that enable the brain to think, do and experience more things. Overall, parents will come to know which toys will stimulate, challenge and entertain their children as they grow. In a sense, parents will learn from their children as they help them grow because, "Kids can sometimes be the best judges".

The Cortisol Connection

Cortisol is a hormone that is part of the adrenal gland usually referred to as the "Stress Hormone" and is involved with physical or emotional stress or trauma. When cortisol levels are high, brain cells can die which reduces the connections between the cells in certain areas of the brain. This can make it difficult for children to learn and think especially during stressful situations which can also have a negative affect in later years.

Research reveals that critical brain development occurs in children between infancy and 6 years of age. It is very important that parents utilize this time frame to develop healthy, positive relationships with their children. Consistent positive interaction between parent and child can help keep cortisol levels low which will provide their children with the tools to develop healthy relationships throughout their lives.

Educational toys have been proven by researchers to challenge, enhance and stimulate the educational and physical development of children. Through educational play parents can connect on many developmental levels in the lives of their children through fun positive play and know that they are assisting their children today to become successful and productive adults tomorrow.

Give Your Child the Advantage

Because children learn naturally through play it is important for parents to invest into their children's future during their early childhood years, infancy through 6 years of age. Parents play a major role in the educational and developmental training of their children because of the wonderful relationship that naturally exists between parent and child.

The human brain is a fascinating organ that grows and develops in an incredible rate during these early childhood years. Educational toys introduced into a child's play provide a great amount of valuable learning, social and physical skills while children have fun doing what they do best, playing.

Research has shown that educational toys permanently enhance the brain. Studies have shown that they challenge thinking, expand the imagination, help develop motor skills, increase curiosity, stimulate creativity, as well as strengthen relationship building and interaction with others. Many pediatricians recognize the benefits that educational toys provide children and have introduced them as a vital part that enhances their waiting room which provides children with a fun, learning experience while visiting the doctor.

As parents, we must evaluate how we allow our children to spend time and remember that the education and development of our children does not begin in the classroom but in a high chair, at a table or on the floor playing with our children.

Every Parent is a Professional

Many parents like yourself are genuinely concerned and are taking control of their children’s future. In an October 10, 2004, a 60 Minutes report revealed that a Census bureau statistics show a 15 percent increase in the number of stay-at-home moms in less than 10 years. But this is not limited to moms only. According to a 2002 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, "stay-at-home" dads numbered 189,000. Although this number does not compare to the approximate 11 million "stay-at-home moms" the trend of one parent staying at home and raising their children is on the increase. The 60 minute report also stated that many successful women are choosing to quit their jobs to stay at home and raise their children.

Parents do not need to quit their jobs nor do they need a formal education to have an impact in the training and education of their children. There is nothing that can replace the bond between parent and child especially children between infancy and 6 years of age. Parents can help in the educational and developmental skills of their children simply by introducing educational toys into their child's daily play. Educational toys are a great way for parents to interact with their children and have fun at the same time.