Spring Stress
Spring time might actually be a more stressful time for 4 and 5 year old children than Christmas time. The Spring brings new life to the outdoors and with that comes daylight savings time, sports, later nights outside playing and Kindergarten registration. All this leads the way to very tired children.
Lets start with the outdoors. All winter we have been couped up inside tying to find a creative way to release their energy. We are able to get outside for a bit some days but the children are typically so bundled up they can barely move much less run around. Now comes the warmer days. You are going on bike rides, playing at the park, running in the backyard. You can stay out for 2,3,4 hours without getting frost bite. We are tiring our children out with fresh air and exercise. It is still light out at 8 PM.
They don't want to go to bed when it's light out and either do we!
For some 4 and 5 year olds this is their first chance to play organized sports (soccer, T ball etc.) Practices and games are held most times after dinner. It is everyone's intention to finish up with games and practices as early as possible, but it still cuts into the many childrens bedtime. You get home, they are hungry, need a bath etc. A decent bed time is almost laughable.
Perhaps the most stressful event this time of year is Kindergarten registration. For most children this is an exciting time but with this excitement comes apprehension and possibly some anxiety. Most children find themselves in an environment up until now that they are comfortable in. An environment where they feel safe. They know the boundaries, they know the people in their world on a personal level and they know where everything they need is. We take them to a new place, tell them they will have new teachers and new friends. They will ride a bus and are going to the big school for big kids. From the perspective of a 4/5 year old mind this can be completely unsettling. With no frame of reference for these new life changes added to being tired due to the the "outdoor" activities, you may be noticing some undesirable behaviors. You may see some regression in skills or behaviors. Children may all of the sudden cry when you leave or have temper tantrums easily. Try and look at things from their perspective.
We all want to give our kids the world. We want them to be exposed to various activities and do what their friends are doing, however, you as their parent know your child best. If you think that playing T-ball will be too much for you child this year, its ok to say no. I promise they will forgive you. Talk to your kids. Really listen to them. Sometimes you have to read between the lines. Even at a young age they are fairly perceptive of what is going on within themselves. I recently had a discussion with my class regarding the difference between being scared and being nervous. All to often young children use these terms interchangeable. This led to a discussion on Kindergarten. They told me they were nervous about not knowing where the water fountain would be, where to go if they got hurt, how to get to their classroom, where they would eat lunch. Completely understandable worries, but they have no frame of reference to tell them that their teacher will make sure they know where to go and what to do. As parents we should not shrug these worries off, knowing that they are not rational. We need to listen, acknowledge and support our children. Parents also need to take a step back every now again and observe their child's world.
Lets start with the outdoors. All winter we have been couped up inside tying to find a creative way to release their energy. We are able to get outside for a bit some days but the children are typically so bundled up they can barely move much less run around. Now comes the warmer days. You are going on bike rides, playing at the park, running in the backyard. You can stay out for 2,3,4 hours without getting frost bite. We are tiring our children out with fresh air and exercise. It is still light out at 8 PM.
They don't want to go to bed when it's light out and either do we!
For some 4 and 5 year olds this is their first chance to play organized sports (soccer, T ball etc.) Practices and games are held most times after dinner. It is everyone's intention to finish up with games and practices as early as possible, but it still cuts into the many childrens bedtime. You get home, they are hungry, need a bath etc. A decent bed time is almost laughable.
Perhaps the most stressful event this time of year is Kindergarten registration. For most children this is an exciting time but with this excitement comes apprehension and possibly some anxiety. Most children find themselves in an environment up until now that they are comfortable in. An environment where they feel safe. They know the boundaries, they know the people in their world on a personal level and they know where everything they need is. We take them to a new place, tell them they will have new teachers and new friends. They will ride a bus and are going to the big school for big kids. From the perspective of a 4/5 year old mind this can be completely unsettling. With no frame of reference for these new life changes added to being tired due to the the "outdoor" activities, you may be noticing some undesirable behaviors. You may see some regression in skills or behaviors. Children may all of the sudden cry when you leave or have temper tantrums easily. Try and look at things from their perspective.
We all want to give our kids the world. We want them to be exposed to various activities and do what their friends are doing, however, you as their parent know your child best. If you think that playing T-ball will be too much for you child this year, its ok to say no. I promise they will forgive you. Talk to your kids. Really listen to them. Sometimes you have to read between the lines. Even at a young age they are fairly perceptive of what is going on within themselves. I recently had a discussion with my class regarding the difference between being scared and being nervous. All to often young children use these terms interchangeable. This led to a discussion on Kindergarten. They told me they were nervous about not knowing where the water fountain would be, where to go if they got hurt, how to get to their classroom, where they would eat lunch. Completely understandable worries, but they have no frame of reference to tell them that their teacher will make sure they know where to go and what to do. As parents we should not shrug these worries off, knowing that they are not rational. We need to listen, acknowledge and support our children. Parents also need to take a step back every now again and observe their child's world.
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