Some of the lessons that children learn in school, even in the early years, are valuable all throughout life.
There is so much more to school than learning your ABCs and how to multiply fractions. Below are some of the most important lessons your kids will learn that are not just found in books.
1. Responsibility
Your child will have a number of things they will need to be responsible for. At the start of their schooling they will need to be responsible for things like their lunch box and jacket; by the end they will need to be responsible for homework assignments, exam dates and university deadlines.
2. Organization
Time management is one of the most important skills we need in life. There never seems to be enough hours in the day and even young children can learn how to remain organized and how to effectively use their time. Using certain tools, such as a pencil case and a folder system, can help them learn how to organize their belongings. As they grow older they will learn how to use other effective time management tools such as calendars and to-do-lists.
3. Acceptance
Another lesson that your child will learn when they start school is how to accept those around them and things that are different than what they know. It is only natural for your child to get used to certain things, certain people, certain food and a certain way of doing things. Going to school teaches them that there are several different ways to do things in life and that the way you do it at home is not the only way. They will learn how to accept people for who they are, regardless of how different they may be from what they are used to.
4. Tolerance
In addition to accepting others around them, your child will also learn to be more tolerant and patient. They will be in a classroom with 25 to 30 other children and won’t be put first anymore. They will need to learn how to be tolerant of other people’s requests, demands and needs.
5. Flexibility
When your five year old first starts school they will probably be pretty used to having things their way all the time. After all, when they are at home with you, they will be used to being the boss (or second in command). At school, however, this isn’t the case and your child will need to learn how to adapt to other people’s timetables. Your child will not be able to simply go to the toilet without asking or pull out their lunch and start eating it at 9 am. They will learn to follow someone else’s schedule and routine which will definitely come in handy in the future.
6. Communication
There are so many opportunities in school for effective communication, not only through their words but also through their gestures and motions. Children will learn how to socialise with children their own age, children older and younger than them as well as adults and people in charge. Knowing how to talk to adults, especially when they are in danger, is an important skill for all children to possess. Furthermore, being able to express their feelings to other people and to learn how to play well with children around them are also things that school will teach them. Your child will also learn how to communicate in other methods, through the computer, through written communication and through public speaking.
