Purposeful Parenting Ideas - 3-5 years
Hey! I am so excited that you are here! I really applaud you for taking this step towards feeling confident to be the best parent that you can be. I know you are already an amazing parent just by being here. Your child is very lucky. I am keen for you to get so much out of this little series of ideas that are specific to YOU and YOUR child right now.
Here’s the easy part. As you read this blog, you will see below that I have 6 ideas for you and you can choose what to do next. You can choose to implement them all right away or just select the ones that appeal to you for now. You could try to incorporate one each day or one each week. It is up to you but remember, something is better than nothing, what have you got to lose? Let’s do this.
Traveling somewhere or heading for a long day out? Pack a ‘Busy Bag’ for your child to keep them busy while waiting somewhere or traveling in the car. Often parents can feel anxiety or worry about ‘making’ their child wait in the car, in the stroller or at an appointment. The reality is though, waiting around is part of life and our children need to know how to wait and what is appropriate to do in those times. Don’t put off that road trip, don’t skip out on that thing you need to do just because you have a child. Help your child learn what to do in that experience. Prepare yourself and your child and have that Busy Bag ready to go! Rather than being on a device and not seeing what is going on around them, have your child keep themself busy for a little while by packing such things as colouring in, mini games, favourite small toys/teddies and fidgets and definitely throw in a treat or two to make it fun and special!
Allow your child to make decisions by offering two choices! Many children in this age bracket are becoming independent and want to make their own decisions. While it is important to give your child a sense of agency (control over their actions), it is also important as the adult in the relationship that we keep to our own boundaries, e.g., when your child is getting dressed, try offering two choices of outfits so that your child doesn’t end up in a sleeveless princess dress on a cold winter’s day! (This is a great way to distract your child if they are refusing to get dressed in the first place! Focus on the clothes they would like to wear!) Additionally, when offering choice of spread on toast, offer two options. When out at the shops and your child is wanting you to buy something, try offering two choices here too. For example, you may suggest that he/she can have an ice cream OR have a play on the playground after you do the shopping. Giving two choices keeps it manageable for you and your child as there aren’t too many options which can be overwhelming for them. My last tip here is to not give choices for everything! Avoid giving choices when there is no other option e.g., you are going to daycare today or if your second choice is unmanageable or unsafe. So avoid giving choices such as, “You can come with me or you can stay home on your own!”
If you have some meal prep to do or dinner to cook, get your little one involved. Pull up a stool, give them a plastic knife and then spare a cucumber, a couple of mushrooms or a tomato and let them go – cutting and tasting and practicing those fine motor skills while also allowing a chance for you to chat as you prepare your meals! Some children are really fussy with food but you can help them to love food by getting them involved when you are cooking and prepping meals. Many children enjoy ‘helping’ in the kitchen and even though we know they can make more mess and create more dishes, sometimes it is well worth that hassle. Just think of these benefits; fine motor skills they are developing when using (blunt) kitchen tools, the fun conversations you might have as you chat about what you are doing, the new vocabulary you introduce to them as you talk about the ingredients, the cooking method, the utensils you are using and more! Don’t forget the added bonus here is that some day soon, you will have a child/teen who will be proficient in the kitchen too!
Keep those old traditional Nursery Rhymes alive!
Some Nursery Rhymes have been around for literally hundreds of years and these days their meaning may be lost or changed from their original meaning, however, they are extremely beneficial to our littlies’ development! Not only is a rhyming song fun to sing together with your child but they help to develop their listening skills, imagination, become familiar with rhyme and rhythm in speech and increase their vocabulary!
If nursery rhymes are new to your child, start by choosing one rhyme to say together for the week and do it daily. On the drive to kindy or while taking a bath is a good time to enjoy rhyme time!
My favourites are Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Incy Wincy Spider - both of these rhymes have cute little finger actions too which help strengthen your child’s fine motor skills!
Encourage your child to carry their own belongings. When they head into the kindy gates, have them carry their own bag or if you are headed out for a trip to the park, have them carry their drink bottle there. Not only does this encourage independence and self-help skills but it also helps with their ability to build muscle and develop core strength! I know some children are more independent than others naturally, but we can help all children be independent in an age-appropriate way by encouraging them to carry something of their own (obviously nothing too heavy!). Not only does this encourage independence, it also helps our children become responsible and take ownership of their belongings.
Toileting independently can be difficult when children begin school. In the lead up to starting school, spend lots of time helping your child to go to the toilet independently including being able to wipe properly, get re-dressed and to wash hands. It is also helpful to practise using public toilets (e.g., at the shopping centres) so that your child can practise using locks on the doors to toilet privately when at school.
And there you have it! You now have 6 easy to implement Purposeful Parenting ideas for your 3-5 year old! I hope you are excited to try some of these ideas or better yet, recognise that you already do some of these things because you are confident and an amazing parent!
If you would like to know more about how to support your 3-5 year old's development, I have prepared 5 short videos to boost your knowledge of development (without boring you to tears!) AND I have a handy downloadable Practical Guide to help you track your child's progress and give you the tools to help them - whether it is for their social and emotional development or their language and communication skills, it is all there for you! Click here to go directly to these Resources
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