The benefits of being in childcare

You may feel daunted by the prospect of starting childcare, but there are many proven reasons why there are benefits for families that choose this path. Finding a suitable environment for your child can be an overwhelming process. However, in today's modern world, with the constant rise of living and parents or single parents needing to work, childcare is often necessary. You may have your support network living interstate or simply feel like your child would benefit from a new range of day-to-day experiences and people.

The reasons childcare is so beneficial for all children of any age are vast, and no matter what time your little one may enter childcare, the life and education skills they learn are tremendous, whether as an infant, toddler or preschool age. Early education for children of all ages teaches them about the world around them and gives them skills such as making friends, resilience, and sharing and don't forget they have a lot of fun doing it!

As educators ourselves we are trained to help bring out the best in your child while they're with us at Genius, and we can see the benefits first hand! So let's examine what an education-based childcare like ours can offer in terms of benefits to your little one.

Social Skills

Social skills are not skills that come naturally for all little learners. Social skills develop and need to be taught for children to grow into socially acceptable and likeable little characters. Good social skills will serve your child well both now and in the future. If your little one does not attend out-of-home childcare, it may be challenging to establish these all-important social skills needed for life. Playing with friends and family is great for socialisation; however, this won't harbour the same development as in a formal setting without parents to assist. In a more traditional environment, children will learn to share, play, cooperate, relate, problem-solve and learn with peers their age. While children’s brains and bodies are still developing, excellent education-based childcare will only benefit them in the long run. 

Emotional Regulation‍

A nurturing and high-quality environment will encourage your little learner to develop trusting, valued relationships with their caregivers and peers. For children to build trusting relationships and mature emotionally, they need to feel safe in their environment, which is of huge importance to our educators. At Genius, we like to respect our little learners as individuals while assisting in their emotional development. We pride ourselves in having high-quality educators and highly trained teachers to help teach and develop emotional maturity. Our highly skilled and trained educators assist little ones in developing their expressive skills and social regulation, engaging appropriately with their peers and educators and how to engage and grow in the world around them. We understand every child is different, and we work closely with families to build their child's confidence in their own time.

Teaching Independence

One of the many benefits of children attending early education is it teaches them independence and self-care. Little learners love to be valued and feel useful, and childcare exposes them to many opportunities for both self-care and independence. Part of the journey is offering your child new opportunities for independence and occasions to build confidence. At Genius, some options for independence may include putting their bag and drink bottle away, taking their shoes off, helping to pack away toys, serving themselves lunch, feeding themselves and toileting if they can. Our little Geniuses also have the opportunity to help others with these tasks. Our parents find this builds confidence and self-worth within their little learners, which they also notice at home. These opportunities for building independence builds relationships with their peers, which will benefit them both now and in the future. 

Structure and routine

Although you may not see structure in an early education environment, it is there and does work. This is critical for all little ones to learn as it will be the foundation of all areas of their lives. The structure provides safety and security, gives children a framework to work and play, and allows them to learn boundaries and expectations. Structure in childcare environments will enable children to learn when it's time to play, eat, rest, or sleep. This is essential as it is carried throughout life, what time they start school, what time lunch is and what time it is to go home. Structure within an early education environment also helps maintain a sense of consistency between home and care, which will help with all those developmental milestones like toilet training, dropping naps right through or starting solid foods!

Preparing for Primary School

Transitioning into primary school is a massive milestone for our little learners and their families. As your child moves through early childhood education, they move through a transition and education which prepares them for the formal setting of primary school. At Genius, we educate through play and exploration, preparing them for school on day one of prep. At Genius, our preschool, kindergarten and life-skills program sets the foundation for our children to have a positive educational journey. We work closely with families and their little learners to ensure a positive start to the primary school year.  

It's important to remember that childcare is not one size fits all, and not all settings are created equal. When the time comes, you must research and find the right environment that suits both your little learner and your family’s needs. It may be hard to let your child go, but at Genius, we are here to help with all stages of this transition. If you'd like to explore early education within Genius, book a tour at your nearest centre to begin your journey with us!