Parenting little ones is hard work, and your journey as a parent is as unique as your child! But there are some core principles and commonalities that can be immensely helpful to you. There’s a concept called the “Four Pillars of Parenting”, a set of guiding principles for nurturing well-rounded, happy, healthy children!
This is not only relevant to you as a parent, but to one of the places your child is going to spend a large part of their day: A childcare center!
Whether you’re a new parent or have been around the block a few times, join me for these next few minutes, as we dive into these four essential pillars together.
Pillar #1: Unconditional Love & Security
This pillar emphasizes creating an environment where children feel valued, understood, and supported. This starts with the physical aspect, of course. A child needs a space they can call their own. A space where they can put their own things, play without worry about breaking something fragile or expensive, and where things are constant and unchanging. Lesser known is the emotional aspect. A child needs a space where they will feel affirmed, encouraged, and seen. Without both of these environments, a child can never “relax” or “rest”.
A loving home is certainly the best place, but also what about a loving daycare? At Penguin Crossing, we are committed to providing the best quality childcare service, and offer a safe and loving environment. Schedule a Tour today and check us out!
Pillar #2: Boundaries & Discipline
Experienced parents understand the importance of setting some limits for your child. A child allowed to do whatever they want all day, every day will immediately eat ice cream and candy for breakfast, watch TV all morning, and feel sick and irritable by lunchtime. They are too young to know what’s actually best for them.
Difficult as it may be, as a parent it’s important to set clear and age-appropriate guidelines to teach your children about respect, responsibility, and following rules. Saying “Please” and “Thank You”, having patience, obeying the first time, and doing age-appropriate chores, are just some of the healthy ways that parents can create this pillar. And, when your little one inevitably pushes against those boundaries and rules, they need age-appropriate consequences for their actions. These can include gentle correction, time-outs, and removal of privileges.
And just as important for setting these boundaries at home, are carrying those good habits into their daycare. A childcare center where kids are allowed to flaunt the rules is not healthy, and will spill over into your home environment. At Penguin Crossing, we have tenured, credentialed teachers that are passionate about early childhood education, including some that have been with us 5+ years. Our classrooms are not a boot camp, but they are run with a set schedule, so the kids always know what is coming next. And we always encourage manners and good behavior! Schedule a Tour to see one of our classrooms in action.
Pillar #3: Educational & Intellectual Development
Education and intellectual development form the third pillar. New parents may assume that this pillar doesn’t begin until school, but veteran parents know that a child starts learning the minute they are born. At first it’s just learning how their hands and feet work. Then it’s learning to talk, learning to draw, and so on.
Quality Early childhood education is pivotal in shaping a child’s future in this pillar, encompassing not just academic learning but also fostering curiosity and a love for learning. At Penguin Crossing Academy, even though we are a daycare, “Academy” is built right into our name. We have a phenomenal curriculum, supplemented with rich extracurricular activities that make bringing your child(ren) to school easy and fun! Our curriculum is play and interest-based, which means the children are so engaged, they don’t even realize they are learning! Tour Our Classrooms today.
Pillar #4: Role Models & Self-Awareness
We’ve all seen children that look like little clones of their parents. They walk like them, dress like them, talk like them. Maybe your child even is one! Especially at an early age, children watch you more closely than you know. They record your every move, turn of phrase, and reaction to behavior, both good and bad. They use that as the template for their own development.
That’s why it’s so important to have good role models to provide to your kids. If a child is only exposed to bad role models, it’s so difficult for them to overcome later in life. As a parent, one of your most important responsibilities is to be a good model for your children, and make sure that as much as possible, they are exposed only to other good role models.
This extends right down to their daycare. Their teacher will become one of the most important role models in their little life! It’s so important to get a kind, caring, passionate teacher that you’ll feel good about your child copying. Penguin Crossing has tenured, credentialed teachers that are passionate about early childhood education including some that have been with us 5+ years! We know you’ll love our classrooms our family of amazing teachers. Book a Tour today!
Conclusion
The four pillars of parenting – Unconditional Love & Security, Boundaries & Discipline, Educational & Intellectual Development, and Role Models & Self-Awareness – are essential in raising well-adjusted, happy, and successful children! Our future depends on you.
And Penguin Crossing is here to help you achieve this goal. Our philosophy is to provide a safe, loving and nurturing atmosphere for our children. We strive to create experiences for our children that are fun, creative and educational, while encouraging their creative energy and developing their social skills. We’ve created a solid foundation to facilitate this environment by working with teachers that fundamentally love children and want to be a part of their growth and development.
