The 5 Rs of early childhood development parents should master

Everyone’s heard of the three R’s, but reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic don’t have anything on the five R’s. When it comes to early education, pediatricians recommend a different mnemonic device for helping little ones get the tools they need.

The five R’s come from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Early Brain and Child Development program. Their stance is that informed parenting during the first few years of life can prevent lots of potential problems down the road. Equipping kids with social, emotional and language skills while they’re young helps them better handle challenges and stress later on.

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Thankfully, that doesn’t mean parents have teach their toddlers everything before the first day of grade R. The five R’s are all simple, intuitive habits that nurture brain development and minimize the damaging stress that derails it. They are:

Read together every day with your child.
Rhyme, play and cuddle with your child every day.
Develop routines, particularly around meals, sleep and family fun.
Reward your child with praise for successes to build self-esteem and promote positive behavior.
Develop a strong and nurturing relationship with your child as the foundation for their healthy development.

While the AAP created the list to remind medical professionals, moms and dads don’t have to wait for check-ups to put these tactics to use. Simply implementing a regular story time can hit all of five of these suggestions at the same time.

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‘Reading with young children is a joyful way to build strong and healthy parent-child relationships and stimulate early language development,’ Dr. Pamela High, a pediatrician and the statement’s lead author from Rhode Island, USA, told the Huffington Post after its release.

The recommendations may sound like common sense, but sometimes it’s all too easy to hand the kids a tablet instead of picking up a book. In fact, the AAP recommends no more than an hour of screen time a day for kids between 2 and 5, and none at all for children under 18 months.

To get more of the five R’s in your day-to-day routine, try updating your family library’ or getting into the habit of positively praising and encouraging your kids, daily. Struggling to maintain a consistent bedtime? American pediatrician Marc Weissbluth, recommends prepping dinner earlier in the day so your kids can eat as soon as you get home. A few small changes could not only equip your kids for the future, but also help you spend more quality time together right now.

From: goodhousekeeping.com

Photo: iStock/SolStock