This article from Parents Magazine shares tips for parents of 2- to 5-year-olds.
"While 3 and 4 year-olds still need plenty of parental help, our preschool experts agree that kids are typically able to do more than many of us think".
Here's how you can encourage them:
1. Resist doing for them what they can do themselves
While it may be quicker and easier to do it yourself, it won't help to make your child more self-sufficient. "Whenever I'm trying to get kids to dress, put jackets on, sit on chairs during meals and so on, I'll ask them: 'Do you want me to help you or can you do it yourself?' Those words are like magic," promises Jones. "The kids always want to do it for themselves."
2. Let them solve simple problems
If you see your child trying to assemble a toy or get a book from a shelf that she can reach if she stands on her stepstool, pause before racing over to help. "It's natural to want to make everything perfect, but if we do, we cheat kids of the chance to experience success."
3. Expect more
"At school we expect the kids to pour their own water at snack, to throw away their plates, to hang up their jackets -- and they do," says Jennifer Zebooker, a teacher at the 92nd Street Y Nursery School, in New York City.
Raise the bar and your child will probably stretch to meet it.
4. Assign a chore Putting your preschooler in charge of a regular, simple task will build her confidence and sense of competency. he goal is to make your child feel like a capable, contributing member of the family.
5. Develop predictable routines
Kids cooperate in school because they know what's expected of them, says Beth Cohen-Dorfman, educational coordinator at Chicago's Concordia Avondale Campus preschool. "The children follow essentially the same routine day after day, so they quickly learn what they are supposed to be doing, and after a while barely need reminding."
6. Involve them in righting their wrongs If you find them coloring on the walls, have them help you wash it off. If she knocks over a playmate's block tower, ask her to help rebuild it. Disciplining effectively will instill a positive structure.
Works cited:
Lamb, Marguerite. “20 Tips for Parents From Preschool Teachers.” Parents Magazine, 1 Apr. 2019, www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/advice/20-tips-for-parents-from-preschool-teachers/.