For many parents, the question arises: is kindergarten important? Why do we need kindergarten? It’s necessary and important to think about.
From a psychological point of view, I can tell you the following advantages:
- Contact with a group of children
- Self-chosen friends
- Caregivers outside the family
- Contact with many children
- Dealing with conflicts
- Independence
- Differ from others
- Solve problems without mom or dad
- Learning through observation
- Expanding horizons
- The structure even in hectic times
- Learn to share
- Learn empathy
- Objective views from the outside
Table of Contents
The purpose of kindergarten
In this graphic, you can see the major educational goals of the kindergarten. Of course, they are common goals. We as parents form the basis that can be deepened, supplemented, and expanded by the kindergarten.
Reasons, why kindergarten is important
Group of children
A large group of other children presents our children with new challenges. It’s much louder, there are group rules, and there’s constant bustle. In this way, our children can learn to hold back or assert themselves in large groups. As required.
Self-chosen friends
Kindergarten is usually the first time our children can choose their social contacts. Apart from occasional playmates at the playground, they are usually tied to the neighborhood or to their parents’ family, friends, and acquaintances. Now they can “choose” themselves for the first time, even if it is only within the kindergarten group.
Dealing with children they don’t like
In their spare time, the other children are often friends or children they know. Anyway, it’s mostly kids that our kids like. Rarely do our children meet others they don’t like, or at least we don’t meet them for long. It is easy for our children to avoid such contact. This is also normal and a good thing in private life.
In kindergarten, however, our children also learn how to deal with children they dislike. It may also be that they avoid these children. However, you cannot avoid them entirely. So, they find ways and means of dealing with the kids they dislike and being in a group with them without constant arguments and fights.
Dealing with conflicts
In kindergarten, there will always be arguments or even fights. Your child learns in kindergarten to arbitrate or settle their own disputes. Without the help of adults.
Of course, I don’t want to deny that this is also the case at home. However, our children in kindergarten are much more likely to find themselves in this situation. They get to know their limits and those of others better and pay attention to them.
Independence
Autonomy is also an area that is practiced and deepened both at home and in kindergarten. Due to the large group, your child in kindergarten is more inclined to try out and do things themselves. Be it because they don’t want to wait until an adult has time for them, or because other children do it themselves.
Demarcation
One child does it and everyone else follows. Especially in the early days, it is of course a great temptation for our children, which they are happy to give in to. Over time, however, our children learn to withdraw and distance themselves from the behavior of other children. That means they start to think for themselves whether it is right for them to take part or whether they would rather not do it.
Solve problems
If mom and dad are not at hand, our children are more inclined to work on a pending problem themselves and to look for alternatives. Even if we encourage this as parents, it is good for our children to solve problems if we are not always available.
Learning through observation
Children learn faster and easier when they watch other children do something. Observation is an important factor in learning in general, but watching other children is what motivates our children. Other children are often much more interesting to watch than adults.
But especially when it comes to movement and language, our children can learn more easily from other children. There are simply far more opportunities for observation in kindergarten than in leisure time.
Expanding horizons
Due to numerous people, and different origins, but also due to the different activities and materials that are available to our children in the kindergarten. Of course, materials alone do not make the difference. But with other children and also with teachers, there are countless new possibilities and situations that our children can observe, learn and experience.
Structure
Daily structures and routines give our children security. Of course, this is mainly due to us parents. Yet, sometimes comes hectic and crisis at home. It is a great help if our children also have an anchor outside the family.
Learn to share
Learning to share is a point that starts at home and can be perfected in large groups. Our children can practice sharing with several children in kindergarten and also experience that things are shared with them.
But they also learn to say no and only share when they want to. And also not to share with everyone and, above all, to communicate this “correctly” to others. This is a crucial point when dealing with a group.
Learn empathy
Empathy, i.e. empathizing with others and understanding the feelings of others, is essential for our children. But like many things, our children have to learn and practice first. Especially at kindergarten age, our children make significant progress here.
In kindergarten, of course, there are many opportunities to observe the feelings of others, but also how everyone else reacts to them. From this combination, our children pick those that seem good to them and then try them. There are many opportunities to do this, especially in kindergarten.
Objective assessment
The issue of an objective point of view concerns us parents above all. Of course, we think our children are incredibly great. Even uncles, aunts, grandmas, and grandpas see it that way. Of course, even when we try, our gaze is always a bit colored by love.
Through the kindergarten teachers, we as parents have the opportunity to get an objective perspective. So, what is my child good at, or where does it perhaps need a little more support? In addition, experienced kindergarten teachers can often give good tips on such matters.
Conclusion about kindergarten
I find kindergarten very valuable from a psychological point of view. Our children are in good and safe hands there. Today’s kindergartens often see themselves as educational institutions without the pressure of achieving a specific learning objective. They can pick up our children and support them where they need it.
No question, we parents do that too. However, at home, we rarely have the opportunity for our children to be in a group. This group dynamic, with all its advantages but also disadvantages, is particularly important for our children.
From the time they start school, our children are in groups almost every day. Therefore, they must learn to fit into a group in good time and learn in advance how to act in groups. Getting into school is already challenging enough. In addition, your child has the advantage that they already know some children. This makes it easier for your child to settle into school and nothing stands in the way of (learning) fun.
