Do you need to go to parent school?

Is there a ‘right’ way to bring up your child? Linda Geddes asks whether parent school is the answer.

ow do you entertain a grumpy three-year-old? My strategy is generally: (a) panic; (b) rustle about in my bag for some breadsticks or – if she’s lucky – a colouring book; (c) hand over my iPhone and let her watch some cartoons – all the while worrying I’m stunting her brain development.

My friend, however, has a different strategy. One morning we were enjoying a coffee when, to distract her three-year-old daughter, she serenely reached into her bag and handed her a sheet of paper with six or seven three-letter words on it and a red pen. She then proceeded to read the words out at random, while her daughter correctly circled each one. It was impressive. I was horrified.

I’d never considered doing similar activities with my own daughter, just four months younger. Although we read to her before bed each night, I’d always assumed formal reading and writing was just something she’d pick up when she went to school. Perhaps I’d got it terribly wrong.

About a week later, when dropping my daughter off at nursery, I was handed a leaflet about parenting classes. Like many mums, no one taught me how to raise my children – I’ve simply muddled by on instinct and the odd book. But perhaps there’s a more evidence-based way to raise happy and successful kids. Maybe I needed to enrol at Parent School.

Reference:

• Behaviour and development resources from Zero to Three, a USA-based centre for infants, toddlers and families.
• The Power of Play, a guide by Zero to Three (PDF)
• Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence – an activity guide from the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University.
• Get Ready to Read! Resources for early learning of maths and literacy for young children.