The family is profoundly important to the developmental, emotional and cognitive growth of a child.” Introducing family to your little one takes real time observances of each member so the child understands the role/importance of the family members.
Know what it takes to introduce your family to your child:
1. First and foremost, introduce the vocabulary. Let the child pick the pronunciation and meaning of each word.
2. Read books which show family members with clear roles.
Good reads: The Family Book by Todd Parr includes a wide array of families with bright illustrations.
Who’s In a Family? By Robert Skootch is another book that examines the various kinds of families.
Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney (quoted above) uses a family tree to explain how the members of a family are related to each other.
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant is an entertaining book to introduce the concept of extended family to preschoolers.
3. Have your preschooler draw a family portrait. Help him label his mom, dad, brother, sister, or grandparents in the portrait.
4. Teach ‘who’s who in my family’. Discuss why each family member is important and theirs’s contribution to the family.
5. To reinforce the labels of family members, have a family gathering.
6. Talk about their role in the family. And let the child take part in family chores.
7. Have your child tell about how each member of the family gives their time and attention to make the house a happy home
(Say, mommy cooks food for all, daddy brings presents and granny tells stories)
8. Lastly and most importantly, be a positive role model for your child. Family plays a crucial role in modeling a child’s personality. This doesn’t mean that you have to picture parenting perfection. Instead your actions after a misstep will become an example of how to deal with challenges.
