Every parent wants their child to grow up in the healthiest and most academically-friendly home possible. Many parents seek to enrich their child’s environment by buying them countless toys and videos that promise to be “educational,” while merely serving to clutter up the house and drive said parents insane. When it comes right down to it, very little is needed to create a healthy, academically- and kid-friendly home. Included here are a few tips, to help your children grow into functioning people and keep the crazy at bay.
Buy Books
The first step to creating an academically friendly environment for your children is to step away from the plastic and get down to paper: books, that is. Studies have shown that children who grow up in homes permeated with reading material end up doing better academically from elementary to college.
Before you start exclaiming over the high cost of children’s books, take a breath and step over to your local thrift shop. Many thrift stores host a variety of books, for young and old, at nearly free prices. Children’s books, which usually end up suffering the most damage, can go for as little as $0.25 apiece. This can help keep you calm when your child excitedly rips a page in half or the baby chews off a corner.
Cut Down on Toys
Studies have shown that the average child plays with less than 10 toys every day. Yet the average American child owns more than 50 toys per child. This stockpiling of toys creates cluttered environments that can quickly become unsanitary and stressful. What if you could avoid all the incessant nagging to clean up toys, simply because each child only had one small basketful to put away?
Additionally beneficial, is the fact that children who have fewer toys benefit in countless ways. Children who have fewer toys learn to play more imaginatively and interact with other kids. They also take better care of their toys and are more likely to focus and have longer attention spans. Long story short, spoiling your kids with the latest plastic-dancing-orange-fuzzy-elephant-friend may be hurting their brains and childhood.
Expect Responsibility
The “prolonged adolescence” researchers have noticed among today’s 20-somethings may be a product of their childhood. A generation that experienced more mothers returning to work than ever before has had a marked impression upon the children. The desire to buy love with presents and gifts rather than valuable time and expectations has not helped children.
Kids desire responsibility and expectations; it increases their self-worth and gives them a peek into the adult world. By making your home a place of age-appropriate chores for all of your children, you can help them grow into functioning adults, capable of giving back to society.
