The Things a 4-Year-Old Should Know

Admit it, if you’re a mom – or a dad – you’ve probably compared your kid to somebody else’s kid. I should know, I’ve done the same thing hundreds of times! I, however, am not guilty of openly insulting or comparing my children with other people’s children. Since becoming a parent, I’ve noticed two things:
1. That parents want to believe that their children are little prodigies.
2. That parents often wonder what their child should know or should be able to do at certain ages.

I’m guilty of both.

I’ve realized, however, that there are really certain things that children, particularly preschoolers, should know. So, here is my list of things that a 4-year-old should know (my Paige is, after all, 4 years old):

First of all – and this is probably the most important thing in this list – your child should know that she is loved. Completely and unconditionally. No buts or what-ifs. No exceptions.

I've recently learned how important this is to my child.  Paige knows how happy I am every time she comes home with a star. I’ve learned, however, that a star didn’t matter much in comparison to my child’s happiness.

One afternoon, she came home, hiding her hand behind her.  She approached me with a sad look in her face. After I prompted her to tell me what’s wrong, she told me that she prayed dearly to Jesus, asking him to make her teacher stamped a star on her hand. And then she hesitantly showed me her hand and said sadly, “No star, mama.” I felt my heart breaking into tiny little pieces. I gave her a hug and told her that she’s a really smart and wonderful kid and that I love her no matter what.

It was an eye opener for me. I had a good talk with my husband after that because I was wondering where I draw the line. How do you encourage your child without causing her sorrow? And Erbe gave me a good answer, but then that’s another story.

Anyway, I continue with my list.

The second thing your child should know is this - how to keep herself safe. It is your duty to keep her safe, but there are basic rules that you need to teach your child. Never go with strangers anywhere. Never leave your side in public. Safety is a huge consideration especially when you have a little girl. Predators are everywhere! Boys are no longer safe as well.

She should know two important values: Respect and Honesty. Oh, children slip every now and then. Sometimes, your child would throw a tantrum. Sometimes, she’d lie – or god forbid if this happens to you – steal small potatoes from the supermarket (this happened to me - last week!), but as long as she’s going in the right direction, she’s going to be okay.

Your child should know that it’s okay to be silly. She should know that it’s okay to laugh and to use her imagination. Trees do not always need to have green leaves. Faces can be orange and violet. A bicycle can carry seven people. Let her have fun with her imagination. Her interests should be encouraged. She’ll soon learn the alphabet and numbers, but let her pretend to be a mermaid or a fairy for now. Let your child draw rocket ships, cars and airplanes if that’s what she wants.  
Finally, she should know that the world is wonderful and that it is magical. She should know that she is a very important piece of that magic. She should know that she’s so important that you would be willing to spend hours just playing with her or that she can come to you with her latest drawing of you (with an orange face, of course) and you'd be willing to give her a minute of your time.
Now, those things, my friends, are the things that a 4-year-old should know.