Why is water confidence important for young children?

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The Shaws Preschool curriculum places a strong emphasis on building confident children. This includes confidence in the water with our Shaws Water Confidence Programme.

We have our very own private swimming pool located at our Lorong Chuan campus, so children enrolled in our three campuses in Braddell/Serangoon Gardens are able to enjoy free Shaws Water Confidence classes as part of our curriculum.

 

Why do we believe water confidence is important?

Before learning to swim, it is important that children feel confident and capable in the water. This includes learning to stay afloat, learning to jump safely in the water, and to know what to do when they are in trouble in the water. Once a child builds confidence in the water, learning to swim is a piece of cake!

 

Aside from confidence, experiences in the water are great for brain development. When children are in the water, they are in an environment full of complex sensations. This stimulates the growth of connections between neurons in the brain, and this is great for brain development. It may sound far fetched, but yes, this does have correlation to children’s cognitive abilities as they grow!

But hey, at Shaws, we believe that learning must be fun! So aside from all the benefits above, the children are having fun!

 

Note – Shaws Water Confidence classes are at no extra charge at Shaws Lorong Chuan, Shaws Carmichael, and Shaws Braddell. Lessons are held in our private pool at our Lorong Chuan campus.

 

6 tips for stress-free potty training

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Toilet training can often be a source of stress for Mums and Dads, and children too! Our advise is… relax, everyone eventually learns to use the toilet.

The average age for toilet training is three, and thats just the average. Toilet train only when you see signs that your  child is ready for toilet training.

When you pick the right time, it is fast and almost stress free.

 

Once your child is ready to be potty trained, here are some tips to make the process less stressful for both you and your child.

  1. Ditch the diapers and motivate your child with cool underwear! This is always a hit!
  2. Buy the right equipment. Whether you are using a potty or a child’s toilet seat, ensure it is comfortable for your child. You may even want to let your child pick it out.
  3. Set up a potty schedule, where you take your child to the toilet/potty every hour and a half, then every two hours.
  4. Celebrate triumphs! Make a song and dance for every time your child does a wee in the potty!
  5. Choose a time when you are able to potty train your child continuously over a few days. Don’t choose times when you have to be out of the house for long periods of time. Try and keep it as consistent as you can.
  6. Work with your child’s preschool on all you are doing at home, so they can do the same at school. If your child does have “accidents” at school and requires your child to wear diapers, suggest pull-ups for your child.

 

Remember, if your child resists, do consider leaving the toilet training for a while and trying again some time later. It is not meant to be stressful for you or your child.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 signs that my child is ready for potty training

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There is no specific age to toilet train a child. Instead, look out for signs that your child is ready to give it a go. Now remember, no two children are alike. So if your child resists, do consider leaving it for a little while, and try again some time later.

To help make the process less stressful for both you and your child, here are 5 signs that may indicate your child is ready for toilet training.

 

  1. Not wanting to stay in a wet diaper. Your child may pull or tug at their wet/soiled diaper to try and get it off.
  2. Is interested in using the toilet or going to the toilet
  3. Has a dry diaper for longer than usual – this shows that he/ she is able to hold their wee in his/her bladder
  4. Telling you (with words or actions) that they need to pee or poo before the do it in their diaper
  5. Begins to dislike wearing a diaper at all

Not all these signs need to be present, but if any of them are, it may indicate your child is ready to start toilet training.

How to make potty training less stressful

 

Nurturing confident speakers

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Shaws Preschool prides itself in nurturing confident children. One of the areas of confidence our children are strong in is the ability to stand up and speak confidently. We have many areas in our curriculum that support this, one of which is Show and Tell, which starts as early as in the Pre-Nursery class.

Show and Tell is great for confidence building, as not only do the children get a chance to show off their “prized possessions”, it gives the children experiences in public speaking.

The children learn that they need to speak loudly and clearly to gain the attention of their audience.

They also learn how to communicate through body language.  They learn to answer questions posed on their topic, clearly and to the point. All within the safe environment of their classroom and friends.

By the time the children graduate in Kindergarten Two, they would have gained over fours years of experience in Show and Tell. They are able to stand up with confidence, and share a topic clearly and with confidence.

In fact, we sometimes have to set a timer for Show and Tell in Kindergarten Two, as the children are confidently able to go on and on!

My child won’t eat! What do I do?

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Some parents are amazed when we tell them how much their child eats at school. “Are you sure?” they ask. “My child barely eats at home!”

Here are 5 tips we have for parents…

1. Serve meals when your child is hungry! Don’t give your child a big snack, and then expect him or her to eat a full meal. They may simply not be hungry.  At preschool, after a morning of stimulation, the children are starving and chop down their food eagerly.

2. Don’t offer an alternative right away. Some parents have a bottle of milk waiting for the child if they don’t eat their meal. Your child knows this, and there is no motivation to fill their tummies.

3. Cook food your child will enjoy. If they are trying new foods, include this with food you know they like.

4. Eating is an experience not just for nutrition. Eat as a family or in a group. This makes meal time more enjoyable for the children. At school, the children enjoy eating snack and lunch in a group, chatting with their friends.

 

5. Allow them to be part of the preparation of the food. Of course not all the time, but sometimes let them be involved in simple tasks like chopping the vegetables, or even serving the food.

 

     

 

 

“No! No! No!” – How do I deal with my child through the “no’ phase?

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A common question we get is – How do I deal with my child through the “no” phase, which typically is when they are around 2 years old.

Here’s what we do at school.

1. Children at during this stage want independence and control of their environment. We give them the opportunity to have this by allowing them to do things for themselves – such as putting on their shoes and wiping up the table after snack time. This gives them the satisfaction of being able to compete a task.

2. Where possible, we give them choices. During activity time, we set up many activities for them to choose from. They can choose which activity to work on.

3. We avoid using the word “no” or “don’t” in the classroom. For example, instead of “no running”, we say “walk slowly”.

4. Routine routine routine! Routine provides children with security – they know what is going to happen next. Our daily classroom schdule is build around a similar daily routine.

We hope this helps. But do remind yourselves that this phase is part of growing up, full of learning experiences for your child, including learning right from wrong. And we promise you it does end as some stage… at least before college 😉