The Smarter Preschooler Blog

We took the kids to Monster Jam. This is where oversized trucks do various stunts and races. It’s not anything that we had watched before but we thought the boys might enjoy it. They had a great time. Even, we had fun although we probably wouldn’t go every week, it was worth going once.

So, keep your eyes open for new things to do as a family. It doesn’t have to be expensive but might be a picnic at the park or a hike. It can add richness to your kid’s experience as well as be a special way to connect with one another as a family.

Kurt Warner, the quarterback for my football team, the Cardinals, has announced that he is retiring. He not only was a great athelete but a great role model for kids. He talked about things greater than himself like Jesus, family, and helping others. My 3rd grade son really liked him.

It is not usual for kids to idolize other people. They can admire atheletes, music performers, actors or even Dad or a coach. And this is great for kids to help guide them in character development and to learn traits such as bravery, tenacity or charity.

Preschoolers too can admire heroes. While some might have real life role models younger kids tend to have imaginary characters like Spiderman Cinderella that they try to emulate.
It is healthy for preschoolers to role play imaginary characters. Role playing is great for developing verbal skills. It gives young children a sense of control over their lives when they can fight bad guys or dream of living in a castle. So, when your youngster idolizes or role plays a person or character, encourage it.

I took my son to see the Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar. Strange but my son who is only 9 has always like history especially Roman times. He even did a history fair project on Julius Caesar.

The tickets were student tickets offered by my homeschool group. We payed only $8 per person where the evening tickets sold to the general audiences were up to $33 per ticket. We also sat in the front row. We were so excited to see the production.

However, when we got there the actors were dressed in Civil War attire. They were still reciting Shakespeare but had brought the play to America in the 1860’s. And while I understand the director was sending out a political message, I would have much rather preferred the play stay true to the time.

The acting was great and overall we still enjoyed the play. I was glad that my son got the experience of seeing the play and try to get as many student discounts for various cultural events as possible.

If you have preschoolers, you might look into the various plays or musical productions in your area. While you may not take your 5 year old to see Shakespeare, you might start with children’s production such as Cinderella or The Three Little Pigs. Call the theater and ask for group discounts and invite other parents and kids. It is a great way for young children to be exposed to the arts early and learn through the experience.

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What a special day to spend with my younger son! We ran errands, went to lunch, read, and played board games. He is so different without big brother around so it is important that we take some time to do things together.

If you have more than one child try to take time for each one individually. You can sign one up for a class while you spend time with the other or have grandparents or spouse watches one sibling. Even running an errand to the grocery store affords time to talk and be together.

Kids really need the special attention and even though it is difficult parents should try to do this as much as possible for their kids. And for those parents with more than 2 kids, special time is more difficult but with a little creativity it can be done.

The kids got a Nintendo DS for Christmas. Since we usually limit electronic media, we weren’t sure if it would be a wise decision. But the boys really wanted it so we ended up getting one from them to share.

They bought Lego Batman and Lego Star Wars software to go with it. At first the kids asked to play it often. And since it was Christmas break we were much more lenient with the time they played.

After the turn of the year, we had to make sure that the boys were not playing constantly. We know people who allow unlimited hours of playing on the DS, or other electronic media. We had always set up time limits so we hoped it would work with the Ninetendo too.

The basic rule is no electronic media until the end of the day. This means all of the school work must be completed. And if there is free time during the day, they do not fill it with hours of computer time. They read, play with Legos, do an art project etc. In this way they still engage in educational pursuits throughout the day. At the end of the day around 4-5pm they can choose what electronic media they want. They get 30 minutes each and usually split between movie time and computer time. We set a timer so there are minimumal problems. Occasionally, they will say one more minute to finish a level and we sometimes cave in, but by and large the system works great.

We recommend that you start setting viewing limits early for your preschooler. The sooner the better. They will get used to the schedule and will have more time to pursue more beneficial pursuits like reading, playing, art, and more.

The kids chess class started this week. The kids love it and I am glad. Chess has been shown to improve test scores, improve math and analytic skills, spatial ablity and improve attention and concentration. If you have an older preschooler or early elementary student it is not to soon to get your kid playing chess. Try it at home. If you child is younger you can try checkers or Connect Four which can help prepare kids for chess later.

Happy New Year! We hope that you that you will put family first this year and spend lots of time with your kids.
We are exciting for the upcoming year. We have several speaking engagements this year. We will be speaking at the parent university for the public school, AZ homeschool convention, and more. We will keep posting as the events get closer.