Do you also find pushy moms who want to teach their toddlers to write shocking?

Question

When my children were small I did a diploma in preprimary education and I know how important it is for that age group to learn and explore freely, without a stupid mom trying to force them to sit still and hold crayons and form letters! (Probably just to impress their friends with the phenomenal IQ of their offspring.) It's so important for them to spend a lot of time just playing, because it's their way of learning.

And as a primary school teacher I've seen the harm done by mothers who push their kids beyond their limits. Isn't the best thing you can do for your kid to let them grow and develop by supplying what they need, but also ACCEPTING what they are without forcing them into a mold?

English isn't my first language, so I'm sure you can excuse my error!

Answer 1

Toddlers should learn through play. There is no reason to try to start them so early..it wont make them any smarter. There is a reason they don't start these lessons until preschool...because that is when they are ready.

Answer 2

It's really shocking how parents want to push their little kids to do things not appropriate to their physical development! I've tried to advise people not to force that on Yahoo Answers and been told I'm a freak, I'm inane, from another planet. Even posting facts about development doesn't help.

I think day care use has a huge impact on this behavior, because the moms are detached from their kids - emotionally, so lack empathy for their kids, and on a practical level, so they don't really have a clue about what kids need and can do.

Let's not forget that state governments all across America are pushing earlier and earlier academics - supposedly boosted by research on head start. My understanding is that the original head start program, the only place the good results come from, the moms were completely involved in the learning. They didn't send kids off, because kids learn best with mommy.

I think your English is great.

Answer 3

Some kids are ready as toddlers. My daughter started reading at 3, writing at about 3-1/2. She was tested at age 6 and has a genius level IQ., at that time it was already around 140. I accept her completely for what she is: a highly intellegent little girl who loves to read and draw as well as play in the mud and chase butterflies. There's nothing wrong with encouraging your children to learn and grow intellectually. Some kids, like my daughter, need the extra stimulus. I know she is the exception rather than the rule, but there are some cases where kids actually enjoy their stupid mom helping them form their letters. As long as it is done in the right way (ie, keep it fun and light, not forcing it), it can be great for kids.

Answer 4

The very best education my children have had is while camping, just exploring their natural environment and playing with kids they wouldn't normally meet. They grow up so much during these times and it instills in them a self grounded sense of wellbeing, I just wish we could live that way all the time, for their sakes.
My mother is really concerned and tells off my 4yo daughter because she writes backwards. I told her this was normal and added, "She's 4! What do you want her to do, write a letter to Congress?" My daughter is also left handed, has seizures and has a brother with autism (so the possibility of a learning dissorder is there, I have Dyslexia). I'm impressed that she can write legibly at all, forward or backward! I've never pushed it on her, she'll learn out of curiosity, copying and at school. My sister has a daughter 6mo. younger and has her going to French and Spanish lessons, piano, ballet and makes her sing "You're Beautiful" (James Blunt) infront of the whole family! Please tell me I'm not actually related to these people....

Answer 5

Parents should encourage their children to learn, but not PRESSURE them to learn something before they're actually ready to. My grandbaby has been able to spell her name out loud since she was about 16 months old, and she has been able to recognize the letters in her name since she was at least 20 months old - even if they're in other words. Not because we pushed her to learn - we just said it over & over, like a song or game. But she can't write her name, and we've never tried to make her learn - but when WE write it, we say the letters as we write it if she's watching us write it. We hand her crayons or sidewalk chalk, and she uses whichever hand she wants and scribbles freely without anyone pressuring her. She loves to be read to, she has learned a lot from Playhouse Disney, and we encourage her creativity and allow her the freedom to express herself in song, dance, and art without being pushed in ANY way. Children should be allowed to be CHILDREN, not "trophies" for parents to show off.

Answer 6

A preschool child isn't physcially ready to start writing letters and shouldn't be forced to hold a pencil to attempt it unless they are already showing some prowess with it. In other words, don't hold back a kid who can do it but don't push a child who isn't ready for it. Too much pressure. Besides, they need to have fun playing and doing age appropriate things as opposed to sitting in one place staring at a piece of paper.

Answer 7

While I agree to let children lead the way in their early education, that may be the case with some of these kids. My daughter has been bugging me for almost 3 years to teach her multipication (she's 7). I told her not until she had mastered addition and subtraction, so she buckled down and we taught her. Now, almost through 2nd grade, she has her times tables memorized thru 12.
We never forced her to learn, she wanted to know.

Answer 8

It's all about the moms. I have a friend who is competitive about our 10 months olds, and it started earlier than that!! She is constantly comparing skills and size. And she is very self-important about breastfeeding. too. I can't even imagine what she will be like at 2 and 3 and school years. I can't even be friends with her now! She will totally be making her learn calculus at 4!

Answer 9

Encouraging learning, and pushing it are two diff. things. I think parents want what is best for children and if the SCHOOLS didn't set such high standards, parents wouldn't feel pressured to get a jump start on teaching their children things like that.

Answer 10

I'm so sorry, but I have to disagree with you. For the simple reason, toddler's minds are like "Sponges"! They obsorb, everything around them, so if there minds are obsorbing everything around them, then why not allow them to "obsorb" something "Positive" such as learning how to spell, and read, and write?!! I taught my children at very young ages, to learn how to spell, and to try to teach them how to read, so they wouldn't struggle when it came time to start school, like my oldest daughter did, because of my "Lack" thereof. She had to do kindergarten, twice! So, I made sure not to repeat this with my other three children! And I sat them down, and my children enjoyed it, and were always proud of their "Accomplishments"! And none of it, was done in "Vein" as you say, these types of mother's do this to "Brag", of sorts. I did it to "Bless" my children, and so they wouldn't have to struggle in the same area's as my "Oldest" did, for kindergarten. However, I also worked on my Oldest, when she was in her second year of kindergarten. And she is so smart, that she now has so many "Degrees" for so many different things! She's an amazing person, in which I am so proud of her!!! She just loves, school (college), now!!! And she just cant get enough education, under her belt!! However, after all of her Degrees, she's finally settled on Real Estate! Thank-God, she's finally doing something with all of her "Successes!!" And I have "NO" regrets, whatsoever!! Nor do they!!! Smile!! And hey, you have a "Wonderful Day" for us here on Yahoo!!!