Procrastinating is a natural part of development for some children. Though it’s not the best quality to have, you should expect it as a parent and be ready to help your child grow out of it. Getting children to stop procrastinating is not always easy, but teaching your child the “Do it now” approach can help guide them through the process.

Why Children Procrastinate

The reason procrastination occurs is not that simple. Children don’t always procrastinate because they’re lazy. There are many reasons children could procrastinate.

Most times, when you ask your child to do something, they don’t follow through because the task doesn’t seem relevant to them. The idea of having to stop what they’re doing to put their toys away or make their bed, or something else that isn’t important in their mind, lowers the chances of your child completing the task.

Sometimes your child’s attention is divided between things they like to do. Sometimes children aren’t always fully conscious of what you ask them, so it may seem like your child is forgetful!

The bottom line is that procrastination is not always a character flaw. It can be changed with guidance and practice.

The “Do It Now” Approach

The solution to procrastination could be using the “Do it now” approach. The “Do it now” approach states that the longer you wait to do a quick chore, the harder it becomes.

When your child remembers a chore you asked them to complete, they should learn to complete the task immediately. Generally, what you ask your child to do is a simple task. By telling your child to complete the task as soon as possible, your child will begin to view the task as relevant and will learn that they should not put it off in the future.

Nobody likes to be interrupted during their free time. Encouraging your child to go the extra step when completing a task can make a world of difference!

“Do It Now” at Home

Let’s look at a few examples. Washing dishes is such a boring and time-consuming chore, especially when there’s a mountain of plates to clean. Teach your child to rinse their silverware after every meal. It takes less than a minute, without interrupting free-time, and helps develop a habit of cleaning up after themselves.

Another example of an easy chore to teach is taking out the trash. When your child is throwing something away and they notice the garbage bag is almost totally full, you can show them how to shove down the trash to make space or walk the bag outside.

Starting Early

Starting early on in your child’s development is the key to making the “Do it now” approach stick. Having your child put their toy away before they take another one out makes the transition between play-time and clean-up time almost seamless. Imagine, your child playing and putting things back in the correct place, at the same time!

The “Do it now” approach can be a very helpful developmental tool for parents of preschoolers and young children. It can build healthy habits that will combat procrastination and offer your child benefits that will serve them well in the future.

How Parker-Chase Battles Procrastination

At Parker-Chase Preschool, we dedicate ourselves to helping each child realize their fullest potential through a broad curriculum, opportunities to build responsibility and a personalized approach to the teaching/learning process.

Nightmares are not pleasant, but we have them sometimes. Perhaps something was on our mind before going to bed, or we remembered a scene from a scary movie. Whatever the cause, nightmares are only our imagination. However, they can seem very real for children.

It can be harder for children to cope after having one. Nightmares can be traumatizing and make it difficult to go back to sleep. And in some cases, the line between reality and nightmare can be blurry for children right after they wake up.

Here are a few ways to help your child cope with having nightmares, and how to prevent them:

Reassure them

As parents, we are the safety nets for our children. The first thing your child does after having a nightmare is run to us in the middle of the night. At this point, your child needs to be reassured that the nightmare is over and they are safe.

Turn on the lights and give your child a hug. Give them a comfortable, familiar feeling they can hold onto, and speak to your child in a soft voice. Reassuring them that can always come to you to feel safe will help them to better cope with nightmares by themselves in the future.

It’s never fun to be woken up in the middle of the night but it’s important to remember that your child was woken up by something much worse in their mind. No matter how nonsensical it may be to us, it was real to them.

Help them face the fear

Facing the fear of a nightmare can be a difficult ordeal for your child, but they can manage it with your support. Listen to what the nightmare was about and ask question about what scared them. The case might be that they are afraid of something in real life, and the thought of it leaked into their nightmare. That’s when parents come to the rescue.

Rationalize the fear with your child to draw the line between imagination and reality. Be careful not to discount their fear though. Emotions should not be judged, especially by parents. Instead, let your children know it’s alright to feel scared and you are there to face the fear with them. You and your child can then reflect on it when the battle is won.

Create a safe sleeping space for them

Even if your child realizes the nightmare is not real and they can face their fears, a nightmare is still not an experience they will look forward to. The idea of bedtime leads to the possibility of a nightmare in your child’s mind, especially in the aftermath of a previous one.

Find a way to light their room bright enough for them to see everything, but not too bright that it keeps them up. Each night before bedtime, walk around your child’s room with them to look under the bed and in the closet. That will show your child that there are no monsters there.

Find the cause of their nightmares with them

Discovering the behavior, thought or food item that causes your child’s nightmares will not only prevent nightmares from terrorizing your child again, but will also further divide imagination from reality. Many parent blogs and forums online have personal stories like yours where parents have found what caused their child’s nightmares. Do some homework and you may discover a solution.

How Parker-Chase Helps Children with Nightmares

At Parker-Chase Preschools, creating a natural and comforting environment for children is important to us. We dedicate ourselves to the emotional growth and well-being of each of our students, and having a prepared environment where children feel safe is crucial. If one of our students has a nightmare during naptime, we respond quickly to notify the parents and assist the child in coping.

Archive for month: June, 2019