5 crucial skills that are common to both parenting AND childcare
Parenting’s tough – and in a way, it’s something that’s almost impossible to prepare for!
Unlike many other things in your life (or your career), there’s no class named “how to be a good parent”, no guidebook to tell you what to do and oh-so-many conflicting ideas about what’s “wrong” and “right”.
Luckily, we’re here to help.
We know what you’re thinking: “I’m a parent, not a childcare worker – how is a childcare course in Melbourne supposed to help me parent?”
Here’s the thing: a lot of the foundational skills you’ll learn in our childcare course are also helpful parenting skills, too!
Just like working in childcare, parenting requires…
Communication
Depending on their age level, a lot of a child’s communication is completely non-verbal – for example, look no further than the dreaded temper tantrum!
Why do young children throw tantrums? Because they’re upset, uncomfortable or frustrated, and they don’t have any other way of expressing it properly. Rarely do children throw tantrums for no reason whatsoever!
Of course, it’s not just about this however.
While they may not be able to form complex sentences yet, it’s important that parents develop a positive and respectful relationship with their child, based on good and effective communication.
A large part of that is learning how to actively listen.
It involves understanding what makes a child behave or think a certain way and even going through their level of understanding, helping them grasp complex ideas by breaking them down into simple ones.
Most importantly, it also involves listening to what they’re saying and accommodating for it.
Negotiation skills
Negotiating with a child isn’t like negotiating a hostage exchange or business deal – for starters, the stakes are a lot lower.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can just wing it!
The art of negotiation is an important skill that you will need as a parent – best to get started early.
Make no mistake, while it’s easy to pull the “because I said so” card, the best way to get results (while teaching your children the importance of compromise and negotiation).
Some tactics you can use include:
- Enticements and rewards
- Bargaining
- Offering a choice
- Finding a middle ground
- Talking about whether they really need that toy or lolly
Of course, just as important as knowing when to negotiate is when not to negotiate!
When you study childcare in Melbourne, you’ll learn how to negotiate with children, and how to make them do things without having to resort to ordering them to.
Not only is it important in childcare, but it’s also a huge help when it comes to parenting as well!
An understanding of childhood development
As a parent, your goal is to raise strong, intelligent and healthy children.
Luckily, you don’t have to wing it.
A strong understanding of different theories of childhood development as well as developmental milestones means you can take your children on activities and games that help foster healthy physical and mental development.
In particular, you’ll want to focus on:
- Cognitive development
- Social and emotional learning
- Language development and communication
- Physical development
- Gross and fine motor skills
Not only that, but you’ll need to find activities and games that encourage each of these. For example, that could mean choosing stories to lay the groundwork for future literacy or improve their vocabulary.
Just another aspect of our online childcare courses that carries over into parenting!
Problem-solving skills
Taking care of children isn’t always easy as it may seem – any parent knows the challenges and difficulties that come with raising a child.
While it won’t always be easy, there are ways to make it easier.
When you study a childcare course in Melbourne, you’ll learn essential problem-solving skills that you’ll need to:
- Identify behavioural problems
- Apply appropriate behavioural interventions
- Assess what works and how to improve the process
- Adapt on the fly if necessary
As a parent – or a childcare worker, for that matter – it’s essential that you develop and apply behavioural management tools and systems that will help deal with the many challenges that parents face.
Negotiation (see above) is just one of these tools – you’ll also need to know about the difference between punishment and reinforcement, as well as which one is more effective.
An understanding of how your behaviour impacts your kids
While your kids are young, they’re still human beings, and should be treated with respect.
In particular, it’s important to know that kids are a lot sharper than many give them credit for. While they might not show it, they’re like sponges, constantly absorbing:
- Your relationships with others
- Manners and social graces
- Your habits
- Whether or not you lead by example
All of this comes together to shape the type of person your child grows up to be – and that’s why it’s so important to treat them with respect, to be a good role model and to lead by example.
Parents who have a positive, secure relationship with their children are more likely to:
- Successfully regulate and control their emotions
- Experience healthier mental and emotional development
- Enjoy better school performance
- Better handle stress and conflicts
- Be happier and more secure across the board
It’s important that all parents understand the subtle ways that their behaviour is setting their children up – and it isn’t just parents that need to worry about this, but childcare workers and teachers too!
Study childcare in Melbourne with Academia’s online courses
You’d be surprised at how much overlap there is between our online childcare courses and parenting!
While the details may differ, a lot of the fundamentals are the same.
After all, both parents and childcare workers alike share the same goal: making sure that your children are healthy, and that they develop into mature and well-rounded adults.
As a parent, that can mean using a lot of the same knowledge and techniques covered in our childcare courses in Melbourne…
Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30113)
Including both the basics in childcare techniques as well as building a strong theoretical basis that includes many different theories of childhood development, our Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care covers everything.
You’ll learn everything you need to know to:
- Facilitate healthy childhood development
- Encourage literacy and numeracy
- Look after children’s emotional and mental health
- Resolve disputes and maintain the peace
Practical workshops and a 150 hour placement in one of our partner childcare facilities ensure that you have plenty of opportunities to put your learning into practice.
Learn more about our Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50113)
If you’re serious about a career in childcare, the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care might be just what you need.
If you’re planning to start and manage your family daycare facility while taking care of your kids, this course equips you with all the skills you need, going beyond practical childcare skills and theories of childhood development and complementing them with training on:
- Management
- Finances
- Leadership
- Accreditation
Find out more about the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.
Busy parent? No problem – our online childcare courses have you covered
Study childcare in Melbourne or Brisbane with Academia’s online learning system!
Our online learning system has 2 goals:
- To make learning easier and more convenient for busy people like parents
- To replicate the classroom experience as much as possible
We achieve the first by reducing the amount of time you need to spend learning on-campus, and giving you more options.
And we achieve the second using our best-in-class online learning system, as well as our continuing commitment to small class sizes and one-on-one learning.
Contact our Melbourne campus on (03) 9671 4755 or Brisbane campus by calling (07) 3001 5300.
You can alsolearn more about our enrolment process!
