Preschoolers are curious children, easily distracted, keen on independence and still developing self-relations. Preschool actually helps your child learn about getting along with other children of their age and elders and also get to know about following rules. Common preschool behavior concerns can include throwing tantrums, developing bad habits, lying to people and anxiety. They depend awfully a lot on their parents to guide them correctly through every problem that they encounter. Preschoolers are almost fascinated by anything in their surroundings, so you can expect a lot of ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘why’ questions. You need to spend more time with them to satisfy their learning urges – for example, while walking on the street, they encounter a strange insect, so you also need to stop to explain to them what it is and how harmful it can be. Preschoolers are a bit slow on the uptake as they still in the phase to understand the things happening around them. So, sometimes while you are talking to them, you might feel that they are ignoring or have blanked out but the truth is that they are still trying to understand what you said a minute ago. Independence is important to them, especially for those who try to do everything by themselves. But your child depends a lot upon you to boost their confidence and build up their self-esteem. Attention, praise, active listening and providing them opportunities to practice the skills they have learnt are some methods that will help in this process. As a preschooler, they are still getting better at self-regulation, which is great for getting along with kids at preschool or play group. But they still require your help with expressing strong feelings and emotions appropriately and managing behavior, especially in tough and challenging situations. WHY PRESCHOOL IS GOOD? Children, at this age, can benefit from going to preschool. Some kids may can take a while before they are accustomed to preschool or have fears in the first place, about going to preschool. But its too great an opportunity to pass, as preschool will allow your child to make friends and practice skills such as communicating and sharing. They start to learn to follow other people’s rules and getting along with them. BEHAVIOUR CONCERNS IN PRESCHOOL YEARS Anxiety It is a normal part of your child’s development and preschoolers often fear of being lonely or being in the dark. If your child worries too much or shows signs of anxiety often, you can support them by acknowledging their fear and gradually encouraging to do things they are anxious about. Don’t forget to praise them after each trial. It’s a great way to rid them of their fear.  Bullying Bullying can be devastating for your child’s confidence and mental health, especially in their preschool years. If you child is being bullied in preschool, immediately seek support of the school staff and support your child with lots of love and compassion. Make known to them that you will take care of everything and nothing similar would happen to them in the future. Fighting Fights, confrontations and disagreements are very common among children. A few factors that affect fighting are – temperament, age, environment, overconfidence etc. Children learn what he sees. You can start by reducing fights at home in front of them and explaining to them the negative impact that fighting has. Habits Lots of children have habits that children posses include biting nails, digging their nose, not washing hands regularly or scratching their head. It may be so that you cannot stand to watch these but these are natural, you can just talk to them about this. As they grow older, they automatically learn and rectify their habits. Lying This is no big secret that all children of this age lie about something or the other. You may have noticed their lying but being unexperienced they are immediately caught. It is a part of their development process and you have to try the best you can to teach them values such as truth and honesty. Though it is okay to lie in some situations but never tell them that. Shyness Shy behavior is common among children of any age group. But preschoolers are still learning ways to make their thoughts known and how to express their feelings. its always beneficial for your child when you praise them and encourage them to interact with others, make eye contact and play with them as often as possible. Tantrums If your child has tantrums, its nothing to be mad about considering the fact that they are still learning to express their feelings. If you work on reducing their stress, connecting with their feelings and emotions and carefully spotting what triggers their tantrums. This will help you to monitor them leading to fewer tantrums in the future.

Playing in playgrounds is great for your child’s physical, social and intellectual development. Most playground injuries are minor – cuts, bruises and a few tears are the most likely dramas. But every now and then falls from playground equipment can lead to more serious injuries. The most common playground injuries are fractures and dislocations. These injuries happen when children fall from equipment such as jungle gyms, jungle gyms, and slides. Children are most commonly injured when falling off climbing play equipment such as jungle gyms, mainly because these types of equipment are high up. But children also injure themselves when they fall off slides, swings and trampolines. Preschool and elementary-age children are the most vulnerable to injury because they’re still developing the physical coordination, muscle strength – and judgment needed to figure out if jumping off the monkey bars is a good idea! Playground Safety: Monitoring and Skills The best way to help your child avoid bumps and bruises on playgrounds is to actively supervise your child while they are playing. By staying close to your child, especially when they are trying something new or complicated, you can help ensure that playground visits are safe and give your child the confidence to develop movement skills. It's also important to choose activities and equipment that match your child’s abilities and skills. These guidelines can help you decide which gear is best for your child: If your child is younger than three years old, try to stick to playground equipment that is less than 1m high. If your child is 3-5 years old, try to stick to playground equipment that is less than 1.5m high. If your child is older than five, try to hold on to devices that are no higher than 2m from the floor. Giving your child plenty of opportunities to play and practice will keep them developing the skills they need to safely use and enjoy jungle gyms, jungle gyms, swings and slides. For example, once your child can safely climb, they could attempt to climb a short ladder with your help. Safe play equipment and environments To protect children and prevent injuries in playgrounds, it’s a good idea to check the safety of playground equipment and the surrounding area: Buckle your child in swings when buckles are available. Your child will be less likely to fall out. Make sure the equipment is in good condition and the general area has no obvious safety hazards such as sharp sticks. Check the temperature of play equipment such as metal slides, bars, barriers and surfaces. Materials like metal, rubber and artificial turf can heat up in the sun and become so hot that they burn. Look for a safe surface in your playground. Equipment should be wrapped in a thick layer of material such as organic mulch that cushions falls. It could also be a soft rubber floor. If hard surfaces are exposed or the mulch level is too low, report this to your local council. Look for a playground that has some or all equipment covered in shade, or at least some shade nearby. Look for a playground with a fence around it. This will prevent small children from running onto nearby roads. It also makes it a lot easier when you are caring for multiple children at the same time.

Despite its numerous advantages, play is rarely associated with learning, despite the fact that many parents intuitively understand the value of play in children’s development. Most people define learning as mastering a certain new skill, such as memorising an alphabet, counting, writing, etc. They frequently think that playing is just for enjoyment and has no educational value. Play is crucial to development because it supports children’s and youth’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional health. Play also provides a fantastic opportunity for parents to interact fully with their kids. Even while play is good for kids and parents, some kids no longer have as much free time to play as they once did. In this paper, a number of causes that have decreased play are discussed, including a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and a focus on academics and enrichment programmes at the expense of recess or unstructured, unpaid play for children. This study provides recommendations on how paediatricians should speak up for kids by encouraging families, educational institutions, and local governments to think about how to protect play while pursuing a healthy balance. Your child’s learning and development revolve around play. Your child can learn in a variety of ways and at different times when they are playing. Your child will benefit from play in the following ways: Create confidence Comprehend more about how the world operates; build social, linguistic, and communication skills; learn about taking care of people and the environment; and develop physical skills. How children’s play develops Your child’s attention span, physical ability, and playing style will all change as they become older. The creativity and experimentation of your youngster with toys, games, and concepts will increase. This could imply that kids require more room and time to play. Additionally, as they mature, youngsters transition through many sorts of play. This includes playing by yourself, playing with other kids, and playing cooperatively with kids. Examples of values-based play Play gives kids the chance to exercise their imaginations to the fullest. They are able to put themselves in other people’s situations and view the world differently. Cooperation and compromise are required when kids play together or even merely use the same play area. Participating in competitive play, such as team sports, can aid kids in growing in awareness, acceptance, and coping mechanisms. Playing in nature is not only a lot of fun, but it also teaches kids to have compassion for all living things. If your kid isn’t interested in playing There may be instances when your child is not interested in playing. By practising the same thing for too long, people could grow weary or bored. This is typical and typically not a cause for concern. But occasionally, a child’s lack of play or lack of interest in play may indicate a developmental issue. When should you think about seeing a health expert or your child’s teacher? Unlike peekaboo, your infant doesn’t seem to like participatory play. Your kid either uses toys ineffectively or has a very limited interest in them. For instance, your youngster prefers to spin the wheels of a toy automobile rather than use it to travel.