The first five years of your child’s life will be filled with fun milestones and daily changes and developments. This phase of your child’s development is key, and so will the childcare they attend. But choosing from the many facilities can be an overwhelming challenge at first.
Choosing a child care center is one of the most important decisions that parents have to make. The experiences a child has at the center will have long-term effects on his growth and development.
In a paper titled, ‘Who’s caring for our youngest children?’ authors Deborah Phillips and Gina Adams write: “One of the most consistent findings in developmental research links the quality of care that young children receive to their well-being, developing skills and subsequent adjustment.”
Kindergarten marks an important time in the lives of most children. It marks the years of budding independence, new experiences, and broadened horizons. These years provide the foundation of knowledge that supports them through the next ten or more years of their education and lives. These years are simultaneously when children may begin to struggle academically. More rigorous workloads, higher expectations, and definitive milestones may be the culprit. However, developmental delays are extremely important to catch as early as possible.
As many of you are already aware, all children development at different rates. Most of the time however, children stay within their developmental margins for their corresponding age. In rare occasions, a child may begin to develop at a slower rate than his/her peers, or even begin to regress, and lose skills they once had. During these times, a developmental delay is often the diagnosis.
There has been a recent controversy regarding whether it is a good idea to put your child into extracurricular activities at an early age. Research proves time and time again that any type of additional activity for your child, that he/she shows a clear interest in, will provide many developmental enhancements. After school activities can promote everything from healthy-living habits, to leadership skills, good time-management, and better social or academic performance. The benefits from these types of developmental advances are everlasting.
The school aged years are usually marked by steady growth and development. Making sure to offer children ample opportunities to move their bodies and stay physically active during this developmental phase will help ensure they strengthen the fundamental skills they need to live a healthy lifestyle as they continue to grow into adulthood.
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