4 ways to help your child master basic life skills

Here are some suggestionsBright Sidefor parents reference:

1. Learn to be independent

- Fold the A4 paper in half, then cut the bottom half into 4 parts (as shown above).

- Attach stickers to the top and bottom edges of each shape.

- Write tasks on the cut-outs. For example, "make the bed", "brush your teeth", "get dressed", "eat breakfast"... At the top, draw or paste pictures to illustrate these tasks.

- Draw a green completion check mark on the back of the paper so that when your child finishes a task, they fold the task paper over, stick it on top, and reveal the green check mark.

You can hang or stick this to-do list on the bedroom wall or on the door to remind your child of the tasks that need to be done every morning, thereby helping your child grasp the schedule and develop the habit of self-discipline.

2. Learn to read a clock

- Prepare two paper plates. Write the numbers representing minutes such as 0; 5; 10; 15... on the first plate and write the numbers from 1 to 12 like a clock face on the second plate.

- Cut the second plate into 12 parts equal to 12 numbers and place them on top of the first plate.

- Glue two paper arrows with the words "hour" and "minute" on the plate above to create the shape of a clock.

- To teach your child how to tell time, you move the arrow to different positions. For example, the arrow is at 12:15, meaning the minute hand arrow points to number 3, you just need to bend the number 3 of the top disk up so that your child can see the actual "hidden" minutes below.

By doing this, your child will gradually be able to tell the time just by looking at the clock face.

3. Learn time management skills

- Color the clock face (as shown) according to your schedule for the day. For example, 4 to 5 pm is homework time. It is marked in purple. 5 to 6 pm is sports time. It is marked in green...

- Explain clearly to your child which colors correspond to which activities.

This way, your child will understand the schedule and stick to it every day. From there, they can manage their time better.

4. Learn to count

A child can learn basic math with colorful lego blocks. To teach them how to count and get familiar with simple numbers, you can do the following:

- Make paper cards and write numbers on them.

- On each card, you draw a tower with many colored blocks. The number of blocks corresponds to the number on the card.

- Instruct your child to build a tower with lego blocks according to the description on the card, from quantity to color.

This task will make Math more accessible to children.