Mid-year in the preschool classroom is when we often see, at home and at school, children pushing their limits and testing their boundaries. According to Arnold Gesell, children enter new stages of development about every six months, so it is not surprising that we see these changes.

Children enter new stages of development about every six months. As an observant adult, you may notice them trying out new behaviors; some of which may be very positive, while others may not be so desirable. You may see your child testing boundaries and rules.

These changes are all part of normal development.

One of the phenomena of the technology age is that email and texting have replaced letter writing for many teens and adults. While these methods of communication are convenient and save time, there still is a certain delight in finding a “real” letter in the mailbox. Writing letters is becoming a lost art as well a lost opportunity for children, and is a skill that, even in tomorrow’s world, is still beneficial to master.

If children are to grow up to be independent, capable of making wise decisions, and to understand the consequences of their actions and choices, they need to start developing those skills at a young age. Children need the experience of making choices, including those that are important to them. This does not mean that they must always be given a choice, and they definitely should not be allowed to make decisions about matters beyond their experience. They should, however, be encouraged to make simple decisions between acceptable alternatives such as whether to take a bath or a shower or which shirt to wear.