4 ways to help preschoolers learn to get along

Do you have a young child who has problems with other children?

It happens all the time - one toddler is playing nicely with a favorite toy when another toddler suddenly takes it away.

Chaos ensues.

Our parenting instincts want to tell young children that they should get along and share.

However, teaching children to "just get along" is a complex concept that is best broken down into four elements that parents can focus on as they develop their children's skills.

These four qualities create a solid foundation for teaching young children how to get along.

Acceptance

The first step in teaching a child how to get along with others is to help them understand acceptance. This means accepting that everyone has their own feelings and deserves to be respected, even if they differ from yours or someone else's.

Teaching children about acceptance also means being careful not to judge other people based on their differences from us - whether it's race or gender or even the fact that they have a different favorite color than you!

You can help your child understand acceptance by letting them know they are loved just the way they are and by encouraging them to play with other children who may have different interests or

Children are still developing compassion and kindness. They begin to notice the differences between themselves and others and eventually develop understanding and empathy for others. Teaching a child to see these differences and accept them helps him empathize and then know how to coexist with others.

It is natural for children to be interested in the differences between themselves and others. They want to know what makes someone else tick and learn that they can't always understand why people behave the way they do. However, it is also important to teach the child to accept the differences of others.

As a family, talk about the different things each family member likes to do and schedule time to participate in activities that match each person's interests.

Take a trip to the zoo for the animal lover, or visit a science museum for the experimenter. Use this as an opportunity to talk about how important it is to support and accept everyone's interests

One way to teach your child this skill is to encourage acceptance of his own interests. When you talk about what your family members like to do or what things they like, make sure you include yourself in the conversation.

For example, if you like to play soccer and your mom likes to crochet, tell each other why these things are important to you. This will help your child see how people can be different but still have similar interests.

The next step is to help the child understand that there are many ways to be a good person.

For example, if you want it to be kind, explain to him why it's important to treat everyone - even those who are different from us - with respect and dignity.

Forgiveness

Teaching children to forgive is extremely important, but it is also a difficult skill to learn.

Preschoolers are in the early stages of learning how to play with others and will need help from their parents or teachers in learning to forgive these actions.

At first, children tend to focus on someone's actual behavior instead of the reason behind that behavior, and they will need help from their parents or teachers in learning to forgive these actions.

Teaching children the value of forgiveness and learning to forgive negative emotions helps develop kindness and compassion.

Modeling forgiveness at home is a great starting point for teaching this skill, but it's also important to remember that young children still need guidance in identifying the feelings of others.

Forgiveness is a difficult concept for children to understand because they are still learning how to play with others and resolve conflicts. When children are confronted with situations where someone has done something wrong, they tend to focus on the behavior itself instead of the reason behind it. This makes it difficult for them to get over the situation and forgive someone for their actions.

Teaching a child the value of forgiveness can help them develop kindness and compassion - but it's also important to remember that young children still need help managing their emotional reactions and will need guidance in identifying the feelings of others.

Loyalty

Loyalty is one of the most important qualities you can teach your child. It teaches children to value others and develop a genuine concern for their well-being.

Toddlers naturally want to help and care for others, so giving them useful tasks will help them feel like an integral part of their family, classroom and community.

Children often naturally develop loyalty when they feel the love and guidance of a trusted adult, but you can also demonstrate loyalty in your own home by showing each other.

Attend a sibling's sporting event or recital together and create special traditions in your home that your child will remember fondly.

Loyalty is a beautiful thing, but it's also something we can all work on.

Teamwork

Cooperation is the basis of teamwork and toddlers learn it mainly through play. Providing opportunities for children to work together and take turns can help develop this concept.

Cooperative and collaborative games, such as putting together a puzzle or keeping a balloon off the floor, teach the value of teamwork in a fun way.

Make housework fun by getting everyone involved and turning tasks into a game. You can let the child try to throw the laundry into the basket from different distances, or race to see who cleans up the toys the fastest. It's a good idea to talk about all of you working as a team to show your toddler that teamwork can be fun and get the job done faster.

As our children begin to see that each person has their own abilities and strengths, we can help them celebrate them and learn about each other. We can guide our children to understand why people behave in certain ways and teach them that despite our differences and our behavior we should be loyal to each other as members of one community.

Children learn by example, so it's important to model good teamwork skills at home. If you run a family business or run a household, make sure your children understand their role in helping with day-to-day activities. For example, if you have an older child who can read well and takes responsibility for setting the table for dinner or writing the grocery list, let them do it!

When it comes to play, provide opportunities for teamwork through games like putting together a puzzle or keeping a balloon from touching the floor without holding it. Playing these games will help develop your child's ability to cooperate while having fun!