Problem-Solving Tools To Help A Child Thrive In Child Care

Your little one is likely to get very excited about going to child care. It's a chance to make friends, have fun, and learn new things. Present it to your child as the grand new adventure it is, and they are likely to be happy about the opportunity to be in day care. To give your child an extra boost of confidence and a greater ability to get along with other kids, teach your child these problem-solving skills as you prepare them to thrive in child care.

Empower Them to Structure the Dilemma

One way that you can help your child handle problems that may come up in day care is to help them structure problems at home. Talk to them about how they should think about a situation. For example, if they have a sibling who wants to borrow a toy, talk to them about how to assess the situation. Talk about why the sibling may want to borrow it. Discuss what each child could gain if they do let their sibling borrow the toy. Basically, talk to your child about considering a problem before acting. It can prevent a tantrum when a child's mind is able to take some time before responding with their instant emotional reaction.

Inspire Them to Make Smart Decisions

Solving a problem oftentimes comes to simply making a good decision. For example, you may talk to your child about what to do if they encounter a bully. They could make the decision to give the bully a taste of their own medicine and treat the bully just like they treat others. However, the child would then become a bully. Talk about why they should make smart decisions. Instead, they could tell the bully to stop the bad behavior. If the bully refuses to stop, let them know they can seek help from one of the child care providers on staff at the day care center. Discuss why one decision is smarter than others.

Finally, keep in mind that your child's problem-solving skills will continue to develop and improve at each stage as they learn and grow. You can help strengthen them by talking to your little one about solving problems and heaping a lot of praise on them when they excel in this challenging area of life. While no child will learn problem-solving skills overnight, taking the time to prepare them for possible dilemmas in day care will help your child feel secure as they go to child care each day.