Childcare professionals often talk about preschooler life skills. These are the skills that they can learn to help them throughout their entire lives. They help people function from one day to the next. The most advanced life skills can start with the basics in preschool. You know that life skills are important for preschoolers, but what are some specific skills that your child needs? How can you add those skills to your daily routines? We’ve listed some of the essentials below.
Safety Skills
The most important preschooler life skills are safety skills. Children as young as two or three can learn not to go anywhere with strangers, for example. By age four, your child can memorize their address and your phone number. Your child can also learn how to find a trustworthy adult if they ever need help. If you enroll your child in a great preschool, their teachers should spend some time going over these skills. You can reinforce them with songs, books, and talks over family meals.
Cleaning Up
Even when they’re toddlers, children can learn how to clean up after themselves. They’ll need to start small, of course. A two-year-old can’t handle complex organization. They can, however, put their toys back in the box when they’re done playing with them. They’ll often need your help at first, so make it a team effort: “Let’s put these toys back in the basket.” They’ll be able to handle more complex and independent cleaning tasks as they get older.
Household Chores
Around age four or so, your child can go beyond cleaning up their own messes. For this age group, preschool life skills can include helping with the household chores. Choose simple, easily supervised chores for your preschooler. They may feed the dog, help set the table, or do other tasks with similar skill levels.
Teamwork and Conflict Resolution
One of the most important preschooler life skills is how to work together with peers. This skill can start in infancy with parallel play. Later, your child can learn how to resolve arguments, work on shared goals, and reach compromises. One of the best ways to help your child develop these skills is to make sure that they have regular contact with other children. If you enroll your child into a great school or host regular playdates, you can provide a huge boost to their social development.
Clothing Skills
Your preschooler can also develop their clothing skills. Your child may or may not already insist on putting on their own shoes. You can help them take those skills further. Toddlers can put on jackets and hats with a bit of help. Older preschoolers can put on their own shirts, pants, and dresses. Snaps, buttons, and zippers may still be a challenge for another year or so. Still, getting dressed is an important life skill that you can help your child learn early.
Decision Making
When you’re teaching preschooler life skills, don’t forget about decision making skills. When children start making decisions early, they’ll feel empowered to make bigger decisions when they’re older. When your children are little, start with small choices like “Do you want to wear this hat or the other one?” or “Which book do you want to read tonight?” With each decision, your child will gain more confidence.
Preschooler Life Skills at Legacy Academy
Want to help your child develop those important preschooler life skills? Legacy Academy can help. Legacy Academy’s curriculum doesn’t just teach academic skills. It also focuses on life skills, social learning, and more. Want to learn more about Legacy Academy? Get in touch with us today. We’d love to hear from you.
