Natalia Mirosz

The first bell

Why we remember the first bell?

It is a reference point for many stories and unforgettable moments of childhood. It opens a huge chapter, a new level of challenges and experiences. Let us not let the child who starts school be emotionally alone in such an important moment - let us be with him. Pre-school education is focused around fun, the school is associated with duties. The child senses this greatly, enjoying the fact that he is already big enough to meet them. This natural, sincere joy is an expression of the desire to discover a world that is rooted in the nature of the child. This joy and curiosity should be constantly awakened. This is both the task of the school and parents. We will not change the system overnight, but we can help the child find himself in the school reality and its specificity. It is also worth showing the content and methods of learning to the child, which are interesting and motivating for us - then we will be a natural example for them.

School realities

Scaring or coloring?

Scaring is the first mistake before the start. It gives birth to the belief that school is not completely safe. Surround your child with care in this initial period and tell him a lot about his nice school adventures, about the opportunities it brings, about trips, friends, colleagues, games and balls.The fact, how you prepare your child to fit a student is a good part of success and a good ground for further travel in the school walls. Of course, it's not about coloring, but authenticity with a positive attitude. Remember that everyone experiences the school period in their own way, which is why your and your child's experiences can vary widely. It is worth listening carefully to everyday tales, asking with interest. Without assumptions, we know what school life looks like. Being honestly committed and up to date, we have access to the world of experiences of our little explorer.

Teacher

An important figure

When the bell rings on a September morning, stay calm and smile, start the adventure - let the child know that you are next to and enjoy the moment. Then, day by day, the teacher will be an increasingly important person in the life of a young student. In order to keep watch over the learning process and the situation in the classroom, it is good to work with it, jointly support your child in school and social challenges.Remember that the teacher becomes an authority in the children's circle. To maintain a child's sense of security and mutual respect, avoid challenging the teacher's opinion, expressing opinions about her to the child. You can always resolve your doubts directly between adults. It is worth getting to know the teacher better and support her positive image. From the trust of the child depends largely on whether he will open to development, overcome difficulties, and if necessary, will seek help in crisis situations.

Competition

Good or destructive?

When school requirements begin, competition will naturally start as well. Better and worse students will emerge, who will be joined by a shared bench and ... sometimes a favorite toy. Do not fuel this competition. Its presence to some extent is inevitable, but it would be worth being balanced with the ability to work in groups and endure defeat. These experiences are extremely important. Listen carefully to how your child reacts to the successes and failures of himself and others. What are these situations causing feelings and comments? It is a good opportunity to support positive self-esteem and empathy. The second one is easiest to build in a child, citing his own feelings and emotions from various social situations. Therefore, listening carefully to the child's story not only supports a close bond, but also provides hints for explaining to the child the social world using examples from his own life.

Regularity

A valuable skill!

The rhythm of the day and the time to do homework are an important point at the beginning of school struggles. Regularity is worth cultivating and suggesting how to organize your time yourself. At the same time, remembering to take step by step, the management of your time was taken over by the interested person. Sometimes it means failure to perform the duties but letting the sense of the consequences of your own choices, in a safe framework, is a valuable lesson. These are small, important steps to build independence.

Praise

A lot, but qualitative.

Praise is a magical bag of messages that must not be forgotten in practice. We know perfectly well how great it is to be praised for the task, for the way, creativity, quality, diligence, innovation. Let's find strengths in the work of your child, let him know what exactly he did well. Vague terms like nice, good, good, do not give any information about the quality of the work done. That's why all the definitions, specific praise and particulars are welcome - it works on the ears of children, like the driving force! The encouraged child will perform the task even better next time and it will be interesting if you notice his efforts. DefeatsHow to put up with them?Failure is a normal thing, a consequence of trying new things. Such interpretation of difficult moments will help your child to get used to them, do not just bend motivation for further attempts. Let us be with the child in the face of failures, never as dictators, but also supportive and help in dealing with emotions and drawing conclusions. The lost defeat rises to higher heights and makes success taste better. This is what we show in practice to our child and together celebrate with him success, no matter how long it was to reach the top. School friendsBuilding your own environmentColleagues are really important people for a child. Could childhood be so joyful without peers? Let the children have their childish fantasies, games and inventions. Keeping an eye on their course and a bit of common sense, we will provide the child with a lot of joy and healthy social development. We teach children the principles of partnership and respect for everyone. Remembering that words are important, but the best example is your own attitude. The first school bell is a shared experience of the child and his parents and let it be so. This, regardless of the circumstances, will ensure a good start for all first-year students.

Bibliography:

BOŻENA MUCHACKA „STYMULOWANIE AKTYWNOŚCI POZNAWCZEJ DZIECI W PRZEDSZKOLU”

IWONA CZAJA – CHUDYBA „JAK ROZWIJAĆ ZDOLNOŚCI DZIECKA?”

KRASZEWSKI, B. NAWOLSKA „DZIECKO I NAUCZYCIEL W PROCESIE POZNANIA I DZIAŁANIA”

by Natalia Mirosz

Silence, Mozart, white wall- truths and myths about effective learning

Break every thirty seconds, looking out the window, sitting over a blank page for an hour? Your child does not come to the desk at all, because he associates with endless lesson? Or maybe he is learning eagerly but inefficiently, and you feel that he could do it faster? There are many ways to help your child work more effectively.

Children, especially at the beginning of school, face an important task: they must learn how to learn. Some teachers willingly guide children through the process of organizing their own learning, but sometimes this obligation falls on parents. So, let's get to know some simple methods that improve our memory processes and tell them to a toddler who will struggle with homework.

Make a tailor-made study

Often you can hear that nothing improves learning results much better than removing everything that distracts you. When the desk is pushed close to the white wall, and only a notebook and a pen lie on the table, it is impossible for the child to become a small Einstein.

Indeed, sometimes such methods are used to deal with learning difficulties, but this is not a strategy that can be proposed to everyone. This solution is recommended, for example, to children with ADHD with high attention deficits. Do not rearrange your home when your child goes to the first class and do not organize a "science corner" from which you can remove anything that might distract you while learning the poem by heart. Your child may or may not be the person who achieves the highest results in conditions of minimal stimulation. Some children find it easier to focus when something is happening around, and the silence and lack of stimuli from the outside will make them believe. Encourage your schoolboy to look for an environment in which he teaches himself best.

Good and bad soundsWho has not heard of the "Mozart effect"? Would not it be great if, after hearing “Eine kleine nachtmusik”, our IQ would jump up several points? Unfortunately, modern psychology proves that listening to the Viennese classics does not permanently affect the functioning of our brain. Under certain conditions, it may have small effects in the area of ​​performing intellectual tasks, but this is a very short-lived phenomenon and is rather related to emotional processes (stress reduction, relaxation) - because they affect our cognitive abilities (e.g. memorization). Where else is more interesting ...In the notebook, eight tasks for fractions, and behind the window, colleagues play football. You do not have to think for a long time to find out what is more interesting? Moving the desk to the other end of the room is symptomatic. Removing an obstacle is making it easier for a child to have a job he is working on - but it will not help him if he finds himself in such a situation in the future and there will be no father or dad next to him. So, what instead? Support for the self-regulation process. Naming what's happening with a child will help him to consciously pick up his own reactions and emotions. It is not worth forcing the child to stay in the chair if there is no urgent need for it. It is better to help him organize his activities in a conscious way - to indicate that he can take a short break, walk to the window and see what is happening behind him. The Internet is full of recommendations for children's learning - but it is worth remembering that the main source of knowledge about effective strategies is the main interest. Depending on your needs and temperament, your child will successfully learn in a variety of conditions, with different help. It is worth for the parent to accompany him in the difficult art of building a suitably stimulating environment.

by Natalia Mirosz

Does ladder painting help to build self-confidence?

When your child announces that he does not want to go to a language camp to London, because he prefers to do professional shacks on a bushcraft course in a nearby forest, do not panic. This is a great opportunity to think about how to support your child's development wisely. When to trust? When to intervene?

The child's first interests may seem promising or be a big surprise for parents. They can change, they can be short-lived - it's important that they are. It is a reliable sign that the child has begun looking for his passion, shows initiative, tries to organize time himself.

What does the child get?

A ten-year-old who goes to dream weaving classes brings something more than a piece of hand-woven fabric. Gaining the resources necessary to conduct a satisfying life in the future (and it is not about manual skills at all) - a sense of agency and competence, learning about own abilities and talents, stimulating the imagination, developing social competences in a new peer group, motor development ...

The power of awareness of own limitations

However, there are situations in which the parent's intervention will be beneficial for the child. For example, when a child is unable to objectively assess his or her abilities and wants to invest his time and effort in an activity that is too difficult, it can result in great difficulties, humiliation and even permanently discourage him from taking any action. It is not about directing children towards areas where they will certainly achieve success without any problems. Well-chosen activity for a child is one in which it must face challenges, but it also has a real chance to achieve its goals.

Trust!

The offer of activities for children is very rich today - especially in big cities it is difficult to decide what will be the most developmental and useful for a child. Asking the child what he wants, does not always end up participating in well-chosen activities - children often do not know what the classes are about. So, let's give your child space to experiment at home and let them try different activities. Declared interests of the child are an expression of his needs, but to find them, he often must first realize them. Before you categorically refuse to finance the course of making bas-reliefs in wood, think about whether it is not worth trusting your child.

by Natalia Mirosz

Selection of toys and their impact on children’s development

Toys piled on shelves in children's rooms, multicolored attractions with different textures, sizes and applications. Games, puzzles, robots, ovens, blocks, dolls and controlled cars - to choose from. All these components are associated with the activity loved by children - a play that develops them at this stage in a perfect and irreplaceable way. Proper psychomotor development of the child is associated with the correct selection of toys for him. Are we suggesting this conviction by reaching for the toy to the joy of our child?

An integral part of life of a child under 6 is mainly fun, during which he discovers the world. Play cannot be replaced by any other activity at this stage. It is as if inscribed in the carefree years of childhood. Through play children learn new skills, develop small and large motor skills, learn social roles and establish peer relationships. Play has a multidimensional effect on the child's development, affects its physical development, supporting muscle development, manual fitness and coordination. On the level of social development, he teaches specific forms of behavior and roles, cooperation, sharing and friendship. In the end, the game ultimately influences the cognitive development of the child, which means that it provides knowledge about colors, shapes, textures and knowledge about the world.

Toys are a fun tool and define this activity, so it is worth considering their selection. Too many toys cause that the child cannot concentrate and use them properly in their activity. Excessive amount will also cause that the child will not enjoy the fun, which is the main activity for him. As the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA study shows, the excessive number of toys in a child's room significantly weakens his concentration and attention. Scientists from Ohio invited children to two rooms to play, one of them had a dozen different toys, in the other there were none. Play activity of children differed significantly from each other, in the first room the games were very short-lived, they were shallow and there were conflicts. The children's games in the room without toys were creative, based on cooperation and full commitment.

The first thing in choosing toys is their safety, in turn adjusting to the age of the child. It is worth it to affect all the senses of the child, with its color, shape and texture, but it did not bombard with sound, visual or tactile stimulation in a too intense way. Toy can affect the child's motor development, the development of manual or artistic skills, depending on his or her destiny. An interesting proposition are construction toys that teach technical skills, assembly, disassembly, manipulation, which are invaluable in everyday life. The principle is less and more reliable when buying toys. Instead of buying ten small cars of poor quality, which in a few days will lose the chassis, buy one solid vehicle that will not only serve the child to play, but it will not break down in a short time. The child is a creator of ideas for their fun, toys to help him. If there are too many of them, the child's fantasy will expire.

Most parents have certainly witnessed great ideas for children when we provide them with an ordinary cardboard carton that will generate millions of ideas with simplicity. After few minutes, a spaceship, a drinks shop, a dollhouse, or a fire engine can be built out of the ordinary gray box. And that's it - let the kids create their toys, it's a very creative and innovative experience that will not only provide a lot of fun, but will also result in a child's creative, innovative thought in the future. Cosmetics boxes are an interesting material for construction, manual and plastic games. What's more, they can be used in all of these ways and effectively develop creativity.

The child's interests and preferences are one of the factors influencing the selection and purchase of toys. Especially if we are talking about older children. They, often manipulated by advertising, want to own a full collection of blocks, dolls or controlled cars. Developing your interests, caring your preferences and love for them is natural and it is worth using them wisely. A favorite character from a cartoon does not have to condition the purchase of a full range of toys with his image. This is a character that encourages the child to read, paint, build and move.

In order to refresh and dose joys of the toys held by a child, they can be periodically put down and replaced with those that have already been treated, remembering that there should be very few of them. This is a good solution, especially when a child receives some new toys on the occasion of a ceremony and automatically loses interest in the old ones. Do not do it against your child, if he knows that the toys are in a safe place and can return to them, he will accept the idea.

Toys are the greatest joy of childhood; we remember them, and we remember them for a long time. We choose them wisely and with care, not exaggerating with their quantity and not following fashion. Let us sometimes have fun together with the child, then we will find out which toys develop the most.And what toy do you remember from your childhood? Maybe it's worth searching in the attic of mother or grandmother to get back to the memories together with the child.

Bibliography:

Zabawy badawcze dzieci w przedszkolu, WN WSP Kraków 1992, ss.194.    Czaja-Chudyba, I. (2006). Pedagogika zabawy w osobowym i profesjonalnym przygotowaniu do zawodu nauczyciela. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Naukowe AP. ISBN 8-7271-381-2.

by Natalia Mirosz

The principles of good habits for children and adults

Habit is an activity that we undertake without hesitation and very regularly. It is often done without specific awareness and wasting cognitive resources. It is important for children to develop good habits in every possible area of ​​life.

In the development of appropriate habits in children, or in adults, we are helped by behavioral and cognitive-behavioral psychology. Both of them possessing huge achievements of empirical research distinguished six basic principles facilitating the development of specific habits. The individual steps are presented below.

1. Make decision! At this point, it is important that this decision is conscious and personal. Therefore, before you force your child to work out some habits, motivate them to make the decision that they want to do it! For example, a child decides to read 10 pages of a book every day.
2. Do not allow for exception! It is important not to allow situations when I give up an activity that is to become my habit. Of course, it should be approached with a great distance, e.g. if you have already failed to do the action, do not resign altogether just go back to shaping the habit the next day. For example, I try to eat healthy. After a month of proper nutrition, I happened to eat something unhealthy. Instead of giving up my sacrifices, I return to proper nutrition from the next day.
3. Tell others! When we talk about what we want to achieve to other people, the given task is gaining a different, greater involvement for us.
4. Visualization of yourself doing the habit! Try to imagine yourself doing the given activity. In this way you strengthen a given activity and transform it into a habit.
5. Create affirmation! Find positive aspects of the habit you want to work out in yourself. Repeat for yourself what you gain by doing something. Affirmation should be short and always performed by the person who acquires the habit - it makes them more motivating.
6. Reward yourself! The prize is very important. It has the greatest impact on the development of good habits and strengthening motivation, especially when the main goal is distant in time.                                                                                                                                                                                   When you apply the rules mentioned above, you will succeed in developing the same habits you want to have. They can be about different issues, i.e.healthy eating, hygiene, sleep, daily exercise, etc. It  all depends on you.

by Natalia Mirosz

How to talk with a child about difficult emotions?

The appearance of the first words is a preview to more effective communication between the child and the parent. Despite language development, effective communication can still pose difficulties for both parties. How to check if your communication with your child is good and effective? It is worth considering the dialogue with the child. Do you use messages, which - though dictated by care - act as communication locks?

The child is excited and the parent is ...

A child who experiences strong emotions, a failure or faces problems can give the impression of needing guidance. Adults often feel obliged to give specific advice, to mobilize ("Nothing happened"), or give an example of good behavior from your own experience ("If I were in your place ..."). Sometimes they can overwhelm a number of questions that your child may not be ready for. Although such reactions are a sign of concern, the child may rebel against them or feel even worse. It may even become convinced that its behavior and perception of the situation does not meet parental expectations.

The sight of a worried and suffering child is not easy to bear - therefore, it is a strong temptation to comfort and divert attention. However, if a child is angry at the teacher, regrets about a lost match or sad after losing a beloved toy, attempts to change the topic can only bring a short-term effect. The child will bypass an important lesson of confrontation with his own emotions. Relief will not bring a consolation attempt ("Everything will be fine"), which does not really solve the problem. Nothing gives a rational explanation of the situation, which, however, does not help to cope with emotions.

The world from a 1 m perspective

The adult's perspective also creates the temptation to judge the situation and behavior of the child - "You will understand when you are older". Sometimes it is easy to forget that perceiving the world through the eyes of someone measuring a little more than 1 meter differs significantly from the look of an adult person - therefore a good dialogue should assume an attempt to adopt the child's perspective and enter into his role for a moment.

Good messagesHow to achieve it? How to replace ineffective messages and complement your relationship with your child for a dialogue based on mindfulness and empathy?First of all, it's worth using techniques related to active listening, which make the interlocutor feel and listen. During the conversation with the child, a good start will be to make eye contact - adjusting the position to the child's growth should facilitate looking in the eye. To see how important it is for the conversation, just sit on the floor and try to lead a serious conversation with someone standing above us. Nobody would feel comfortable. When you can freely look at the other person, a sense of respect and trust is strengthened. Your child will certainly feel engaged when you express interest, following the story - asking about some aspects, asking specific questions and encouraging to develop threads ("How do you think, how did this happen?", "Will you tell me more about this?") .Paraphrase - the queen of careful listeningIt is worth repeating in brief the statement of the child, making sure that it was well understood - "So you say that ..." - this will avoid misunderstandings. An important element of the dialogue with the child is to reflect his feelings - naming emotions that are associated with the experienced situation and an attempt to describe why the child feels in a certain way ("Are you disappointed, because Kasia did not invite you to the party?"). Help in naming feelings will positively influence the development of the child's emotional dictionary, thanks to which it will gradually "tame" your emotions. Such a tool will be especially useful when it will experience strong and sometimes difficult emotions. It will help the child to open himself to further dialogue and can be a great introduction to understanding the behavior of oneself and others - to develop emotional intelligence.Using of the above-mentioned techniques requires from parents a lot of courage and confidence that the child is competent enough to solve their problems and that he has the right to experience all kinds of emotions - also those that seem too difficult for a child's age. However, the reward for the effort is priceless - agreement in relation to the child and mutual openness.

Mindfulness is the most important thing

Messages directed to the child shape its development. What counts is awareness and mindfulness, but it is also worth remembering that, as toxicology says - the dose determines the harmfulness of the substance. So, there are no occasional cases of so-called language of non-acceptance treat as a parental failure. A single situation will not immediately mean that the child will have problems with self-assessment or difficulties at school. However, it is worth carefully analyzing the approach to conversations with the youngest. That this building a good agreement will become a standard of everyday communication. In this way, the conversation will become more satisfying for both sides.

by Natalia Mirosz