Ever heard the saying that parents are their child’s first teacher? Your family, whether it’s made up of two or twenty members, is the best place for your young child to learn about the world. If you add siblings, cousins, grandparents, aunties, uncles, best friends, foster siblings, and step family, then there are even more teachers who help shape your child’s life.
These relationships are the safe space where children first experiment with new words and concepts. Brain development is determined by the day to day interactions young children have with their caregivers. Beyond playing, reading, talking, and singing together, children also pick up so much while spending unstructured time with caring family members. Not to mention, these relationships go a long way to making sure kids are ready to cooperate and control their emotions when they start school.
Even though family can be overwhelming at times, take some time to appreciate how much you have to learn from one another.