What are self-care skills?
First, let's understand what is included in the concept of self-care skills. In general, this is the child’s ability to independently maintain hygiene and perform necessary self-care procedures. Self-care skills include the habit of regularly brushing your teeth and combing your hair, going to the toilet on your own, dressing and undressing, using cutlery accepted in society, and so on. Sometimes self-care skills also include basic communication skills with others.
PC 2.3. Organize feasible work and self-service.
Labor education is one of the most important aspects of raising the younger generation. In kindergarten, labor education consists of familiarizing children with the work of adults and introducing children to the work activities available to them.
The main types of work in kindergarten are self-service, household work, work in nature, manual labor, and the forms of its organization are assignments, duty and collective work of children.
Self-care is the work of a child aimed at serving himself (dressing and undressing, eating, sanitary and hygienic procedures).
Children of senior preschool age are assigned a number of more complex self-care responsibilities.
During practice, I taught children how to do self-care work. But now I have helped them to correctly approach the implementation of a complex task, showing them how to complete it easier and better. Monitoring continues to ensure that each item is placed in a specific place and that children put away their toys after playing. This is achieved by presenting constant demands. In kindergarten, I continued to teach children to take care of things: clean clothes, shoes, repair toys, books. This instills neatness in children.
Household and household work. This work is aimed at maintaining cleanliness and order in the premises and area, helping adults in organizing routine processes.
The household work of children of senior preschool age is much more meaningful and becomes collective. This makes it possible to use it more widely as a means of moral education of children: the formation of purposefulness and organization.
When working with older children, it is of great importance to involve children in helping adults. In the process of work, the adult himself is a role model. It is very important to organize work in such a way that children are not just passive performers of some task, but also see the nanny as an organizer of affairs, her hard work.
In attracting children from the older group to household work, general assignments play an important role, when the teacher asks several children to do some kind of work. Since children’s self-organization skills are not yet sufficiently formulated, I tried to discuss with the children how to complete a general task: where they will start working, what they will need, how to organize the work so as not to get dirty themselves, litter, and spill on the floor. I helped everyone agree on who would carry out what general part of the task.
The main form of organizing the economic and everyday work of children of the older group is their inclusion in collective labor activities of socially significant content.
Duty duties are a more complex form of organizing children’s work; these are the first responsibilities of preschoolers. Duty duties require children to have sufficiently developed independence and require the child to perform work aimed at serving the team. Duty involves the work of one or more children in the interests of the entire group. Duty to prepare for classes requires children to concentrate. Since the content of this duty is not as constant as the duty in the dining room, children should be helped and reminded of what should be on the tables when drawing with pencils, paints, modeling, designing. When the work was completed, I asked the people on duty to check if everything was in place. Duty in a corner of nature is organized from the senior group, since it requires a large amount of knowledge about nature.
If duty is introduced for the first time, then immediately before its introduction a special training session was conducted. I created a duty corner with the children. You can design it in different ways depending on the imagination and skills of the teacher and children. Together with the children, I noted every day who was on duty, where and when. I used photographs of children, pictures, pockets, etc. In the duty corner there were robes, scarves, caps, also rags, watering cans, sticks for loosening the earth, etc. The duration of duty varies depending on the type of work, age, educational background goals. At the end of the shift, we discussed with the children the quality of the work performed. If mistakes were made, they were discussed only with those on duty. The appointment of duty officers is carried out daily; in senior groups, appointments for 2-3 days are possible. During duty, sanitary and hygienic conditions were observed. The duties of the duty officers gradually become more complex. Thus, despite the seemingly insignificant result of labor, duty is of great importance in raising children.
Labor in nature
Varied work in nature brings children a lot of joy and contributes to their all-round development. In the process of work, a love for nature and a careful attitude towards it are cultivated. Children develop an interest in work activity and a conscious, responsible attitude towards it. Working in nature has great educational value. It broadens children's horizons and creates favorable conditions for solving problems of sensory education. Working in nature, children become familiar with the properties and qualities, states of natural objects, and learn ways to establish these properties. During practice, I taught children to focus on the properties of natural objects to perform labor actions. So, to determine whether a plant needs watering, you need to take into account its condition (elasticity, density of leaves and stem). As a result, children develop a standard idea of the properties, qualities, and states of natural objects.
Duties in the nature corner begin in the senior group. This form of labor organization allows one to improve labor skills and form social motives for work.
Collective work makes it possible to develop work skills and abilities simultaneously in all children in the group. These forms of labor are necessary to establish relationships in a team. Here the skills are formed to accept the common goal of work, to come to an agreement, to coordinate one’s actions, to plan work together, to help a friend, to evaluate his work; Collective responsibility for completing a task is fostered.
In the frontal organization of collective work, when all children of an age group participate in the work, we together performed one task, for example, weeding a garden. When cleaning a corner of nature, some wash plants, others clean animal cages, others wash trays and wipe down window sills. In this case, the children were divided into subgroups. Collective work can be organized for one small subgroup (for example, 5-6 children watering a flower garden or picking fruits).
At the beginning of the school year, children of senior preschool age in a preschool educational institution carried out daily tasks to care for plants in a corner of nature. Duties around the nature corner are introduced at the end of September - beginning of October. Previously, conversations were held about the indoor plants that are there, about methods of caring for them, about the conditions necessary for their growth and development; talk about the daily duties of the duty officers. Duties were appointed daily. Their number depends on the number of objects in the corner of nature. I helped the duty officers distribute the work. My constant, friendly attention to the work of the duty officers, timely help and support are very necessary for children, especially in the first weeks of their work. In the spring, children were involved in replanting and propagating indoor plants. It is necessary to prepare for this work in advance. We examined all the plants together with the children and selected those that needed replanting; prepares soil, sand, pots of different sizes, shards, scoops, pointed sticks, manganese solution. The main work on transplantation is performed by the teacher himself. Children help clear the ground from pebbles and wood chips and sift it. At this time, the teacher consolidates the students’ ideas about the parts of the plant (root, stem, leaf, flower, bud).
So, the main form of work in a corner of nature for pupils of senior preschool age is systematic duty, which is introduced from the very beginning of the year. In order to interest children in the older group with targeted observations, you need to introduce a “Diary of a Corner of Nature”, where those on duty will sketch the changes they noticed in the development of plants and the habits of animals. It’s interesting from time to time for everyone to look at these sketches together, to remember what was grown and how, what they observed. In the Diary, only those on duty can draw and only what they did and what they noticed - such a rule must be established. Watching the children while they were on duty in a corner of nature, I noticed how they work. How they approach their responsibilities, what business interests them most.
I carried out most of my observations and work in the corner of nature in the morning, before breakfast, or after a nap.
She carried out her work activities regularly. I tried to involve every child in it. The work of children in nature should be feasible. The physical effort expended by the child should not cause overwork. Otherwise, he develops a negative attitude towards work assignments.
Varied work in nature brings children a lot of joy and contributes to their all-round development.
Manual and artistic labor, by its purpose, is labor aimed at satisfying the aesthetic needs of a person. Its content includes the production of fakes from natural materials, paper, cardboard, fabric, wood. This work contributes to the development of imagination and creative abilities; develops small arm muscles, promotes endurance, perseverance, and the ability to finish a job. Children delight other people with the results of their work by creating gifts for them.
The importance of developing self-care skills from childhood
Genetically, the child is the first to master self-service labor, the ability to serve himself. Gradually freed from the care of adults, the baby begins to believe in himself and perform all the necessary actions on his own.
By accepting the care of adults, the child receives an example of how to take care of himself and others, and strives to follow this example.
It is important that adults create conditions for the realization of such independent impulses, and also that they purposefully teach how to perform hygienic and practical actions. This is the only way to gradually transform the first inept attempts into useful habits.
Teaching children to serve themselves is valuable because it develops their practical skills and has an impact on personal development.
Formation of self-service skills contributes to:
- development of independence;
- formation of labor skills;
- instilling healthy habits;
- laying the foundation for a healthy lifestyle;
- development of strong-willed personality traits;
- formation of desire to achieve goals;
- development of accuracy;
- gaining confidence in yourself and your actions.
All these are interrelated skills that help the child adapt to life situations and the surrounding society.
Memo for parents
In order to patiently and consistently teach their children everyday culture, parents should adopt 7 golden rules:
- Encourage your child's desire for independence.
- Show the algorithm for correct actions using your own example.
- Do not rush, let you complete all the actions yourself.
- Don’t rush to help, understanding that the preschooler is just mastering these skills.
- Use game situations, nursery rhymes, and short poems in the learning process.
- Maintain your positive emotional attitude and positive attitude towards your child’s actions.
- Praise the child for each completed step in the process of performing procedures.
If parents adhere to the listed rules, children develop stable self-care skills. Subsequently, skills will turn into habits - actions, the implementation of which becomes a natural need.
Card index: Household work in the senior group.
Card index: Household work in the senior group. Card No. 1.
“Order in the closet with toys and manuals”
Goal: to teach children to independently and aesthetically arrange toys and aids, maintain order in closets, and wipe dust. Develop hard work and the ability to see disorder. To cultivate aesthetic taste and the desire to work for the benefit of others.
Card No. 2.
"Clean window sills"
Goal: to teach children to observe hygienic skills when working with water: roll up their sleeves, wet a cloth and wring it dry, rinse when dirty. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with water. Cultivate a desire to work in a team, in harmony.
Card number 3.
"Helping the nanny"
Goal: To teach how to make bed linen and to teach children to provide all possible assistance to adults. Develop hard work and a desire to help adults. Foster respect for the work of adults.
Card number 4.
"Dining duty"
Goal: independently and conscientiously perform the duties of a duty officer; wash your hands thoroughly, put on the clothes of the person on duty, set the table correctly, remove the dishes after eating; brush off tables and sweep the floor. Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to see disorder in the table setting. Cultivate a desire to work for the benefit of others.
Card number 5.
"Class Duty"
Goal: independently and conscientiously perform the duties of an attendant: lay out materials and aids prepared by the teacher for the lesson on tables; wash and put them away after class. Develop hard work and a desire to help adults. Cultivate a desire to work for the benefit of others.
Card number 6.
"Order in toys"
Goal: to teach children to put on work aprons before starting work; keep toys in order: wash, dry, wipe and put in place. Develop hard work and the ability to see disorder; be careful when working with water. Cultivate a desire to work for the benefit of others.
Card number 7.
"We wash napkins"
Goal: teach children the skills of soaping, rinsing and wringing out napkins, continue to build a work culture
(neatness in the process of activity)
Develop hard work and the ability to see disorder; be careful when working with water. Cultivate a desire to work in a team, in harmony.
Card number 8.
“Order in the dressing room closet (together with the assistant teacher)”
Goal: to teach children to maintain order in their personal wardrobes: empty the closet of clothes and shoes, wipe the shelves with a damp cloth, and neatly put the clothes back in place. Develop diligence, the ability to see disorder, and accuracy when working with water. Cultivate a desire to work in a team, in harmony.
Card number 9.
"Book Repair"
Goal: to teach children to peck at books, use glue and scissors correctly, and use napkins.
Develop labor skills, eye, fine motor skills, creative imagination. Foster a desire to work for the benefit of others, treat books and toys with care.
Card number 10.
"Clean chairs"
Goal: to teach children to help the nanny keep the chairs in the group room tidy and clean: wipe them with a damp cloth; arrange in places after classes. Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to comply with cultural and hygienic requirements when working. Cultivate a desire to help adults and respect for their work.
Card number 11.
"Washing Doll Clothes"
Goal: To teach children to help the teacher in washing doll clothes and bedding: to teach children to put on work aprons before starting work; prepare the necessary supplies for washing and drying, as well as a workplace; know how to use soap. Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to comply with cultural and hygienic requirements when working. Cultivate a desire to work for the benefit of others.
Card number 12.
"Washing my combs"
Goal: To teach children to help the teacher in washing combs: rinse soaked combs, clean them with brushes. Develop diligence, the ability to see disorder, and accuracy when working with water.
Cultivate a desire to help adults and respect for their work.
Card index: Labor in nature. Senior group.
Card No. 1.
Watering indoor plants.
Goal: Teach children to care for indoor plants; water from a watering can
water at room temperature; consolidate children's knowledge about different methods of watering indoor plants. Develop accuracy when working with water and plants, confidence in your actions, work skills. Foster a caring attitude towards the natural environment and a desire to take care of it.
Card No. 2.
Loosening the soil of indoor plants.
Goal: Teach children to care for indoor plants; give children knowledge about why it is necessary to loosen the soil of plants; consolidate loosening techniques and rules for using the necessary items for this. Develop labor skills, accuracy. Foster an ecological culture and respect for the environment.
Card number 3.
Spraying indoor plants.
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in caring for indoor flowers: spray the plants with water at room temperature, use the sprayer correctly. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with water and plants. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 4.
Caring for large-leaved plants (wet wiping of leaves).
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in caring for indoor flowers: wipe large leaves of plants with a damp cloth, being careful. Give children the knowledge that this method of care makes it easier for plants to breathe, which determines their growth and development. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with water and plants. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 5.
Caring for plant leaves (removing dust with brushes and a dry cloth)
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in caring for indoor flowers: remove dust from plants with brushes or dry cloths, being careful. Give children the knowledge that this method of care makes it easier for plants to breathe, which determines their growth and development, and improves their appearance. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with water and plants. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 6.
Plant cuttings.
Goal: To clarify children’s knowledge of what a plant can be grown from.
Teach children how to properly plant a plant cutting, prepare the soil, care for them and the sequence of work: pour sand into the bottom of the pot, then soil, water, wait until the water is absorbed into the sand, make a hole in the middle (center) of the pot with a stick and plant the cutting until the first leaf, press the ground. Water as needed. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with water and plants. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 7.
Replanting indoor plants.
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in replanting plants; teach plant transplantation techniques and sequences
work: choose the right size pot, prepare sand and soil, plant. To consolidate children's knowledge about indoor plants and their differences from each other. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with land, water and plants. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card No. 8
Planting onions on the windowsill.
Goal: To teach children to set a goal, prepare a workplace, tools and clean up after themselves. To consolidate children's knowledge about the structure of the onion and the conditions necessary for onion growth. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with land, water and plants. Foster an environmental culture, a desire to achieve results, and participate in a common cause.
Card number 9.
Sowing flower and vegetable seeds.
Goal: To give children knowledge that every plant has seeds. Learn the sequence of actions required when sowing seeds; make a hole in the soil (for sowing seeds, marking each time with a stick
the distance between them and grooves for small seeds; teach to observe cultural and hygienic skills when working. To consolidate children's knowledge about at what time, which seeds are sown in boxes in a group for preparing seedlings, and which seeds are sown in open ground. Develop labor skills and abilities. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 10.
Planting seedlings and caring for them.
Goal: To form children's ideas about the main stages of plant growth and development (seed, seedling, stem with leaves); about the basic methods of growing plants and caring for them (planting in loose soil, watering, loosening the soil, weeding, feeding). Be careful when planting seedlings, as the plants are very fragile. Develop labor skills and habits, accuracy when working with land, water and plants. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 11.
Digging up beds.
Purpose: To give children an idea of the need to dig up a bed.
Teach proper digging: try to stick the shovel (bayonet) deeper, carefully break up the lumps; old plant roots and stones need to be removed from the beds.
Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to observe cultural and hygienic habits when working with the land. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 12.
Weeding the beds on your site and the children's site.
Goal: To teach children to distinguish a cultivated plant from a weed; pull out weeds by the roots, because if the root is left the weed continues to grow;
Give children some knowledge about the harm weeds cause to flowers and vegetables. Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to observe cultural and hygienic habits when working with the land. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 13.
Watering flower beds and beds.
Purpose: To give children an idea of the need to water and care for plants in beds and flower beds. Involve children in watering plants from a watering can with water at room temperature.
Develop accuracy when working with water and plants, confidence in your actions, work skills.
To cultivate a caring attitude towards the surrounding nature, a desire to take care of it, and an ecological culture.
Card number 14.
Fish care.
Goal: To teach children to care for fish in a corner of nature: feed them with dry food and worms, catch fish from the aquarium only with a net. To consolidate children's knowledge about the living conditions in the aquarium of fish (their names) and snails. Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to observe cultural and hygienic skills when working with food.
Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 15.
Aquarium care.
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in caring for the aquarium; learn to wipe the walls of the aquarium with special scrapers, add water, monitor the lighting of the aquarium and the oxygen supply.
Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to observe cultural and hygienic skills when working with an aquarium.
Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 16.
Feeding parrots.
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in caring for the parrots: clean the feeders and add fresh food, observing the norm, treat the parrots with vegetables and herbs, change the water in the parrots’ drinking bowl.
Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to observe cultural and hygienic habits when working with parrot food.
Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 17.
Bathing parrots.
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in caring for parrots: arrange bathing days for them, be able to fill a bathhouse with water and install it in a cage, or spray the parrots under a low stream of water in the shower.
Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to observe cultural and hygienic skills when working with water and parrots.
Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
Card number 18.
Parrot cage care.
Goal: To teach children to provide all possible assistance to the teacher in caring for the parrot cage: to be able to clean it of debris, wash the tray. Develop labor skills and abilities, the ability to observe cultural and hygienic skills when working with cages, water and parrots. Foster an ecological culture, a caring attitude towards the natural environment, and a desire to take care of it.
What preschoolers should be able to do
Every year, more and more self-service activities are feasible for preschoolers. Gradually, it is necessary to develop in the child the skills of dressing and undressing, eating, using a handkerchief, comb, napkin, cultural and hygienic procedures, and independently putting away play equipment or materials for activities.
If a preschooler is taught to take care of himself from an early age, it will be possible to promptly introduce him to household chores: What children should do around the house.
Teaching simple self-care to children 3-4 years old
Self-care skills in children 3-4 years old are the basis for future independence. At this age, children can and should cope quite successfully:
- eat independently with a spoon (by the age of 4 with a fork);
- dress and undress with the help of an adult (they already know how to put on some types of clothing and fasten buttons);
- hang clothes neatly;
- wash, wash hands;
- use a hand towel;
- put away toys.
Teaching children is the responsibility of the adults around them. The process takes place using explanations, demonstrations, playful motivation, small nursery rhymes or poems.
For example, when teaching hand washing, you need to show step by step how to roll up your sleeves so that they don’t get wet, how to soap your hands and how to rinse them with water. Then repeat all the steps, helping the baby. It is possible to use game motivation: “Show Mishutka how to wash her hands.”
Teach your preschooler a fun nursery rhyme that resembles the sequence of steps of a hygiene procedure. This will make the child more interested in the necessary skills.
Self-care skills in children 4-5 years old
At 4-5 years old, acquired skills become more complex. The child realizes the age-related desire for independence, which helps him keep his attention on the action, even if it does not work out at first. Persistent attempts over time develop automaticity, which is the main thing in the formation of skills.
A five-year-old preschooler copes with the following actions and procedures:
- dresses and undresses independently (an adult only controls quality);
- ties his own shoelaces;
- follows the algorithm when washing;
- pats his face dry with a towel;
- uses cutlery and responds to table manners for children;
- uses a napkin after eating;
- rinses the mouth after eating;
- skillfully uses a comb;
- masters teeth brushing skills.
At this age, children begin to perceive cultural and hygienic behavior in a more general way. You don’t just need to wash your hands, but do it in such a way as not to spill water around. It is necessary not only to eat the second dish with a fork, but also not to throw food around the plate.
Development of skills and habits of self-care at 6-7 years old
6-7 years is the period of preparation for school. By the first grade, a preschooler should have mastered the ability to take care of himself, as this will help him more easily adapt to the school learning process.
The self-care skills acquired by children aged 6-7 years are improved. The older preschooler, in addition to performing sanitary and hygienic procedures, controls his appearance - pays attention to dirty clothes, goes to brush his teeth or wash his hands without a reminder.
In six-year-olds, disparate hygiene and household skills are combined into a system that forms the correct way of behavior. With the right style of upbringing in the family, the senior preschooler is accustomed to taking care of himself in everyday life:
- Knows how to not only dress independently and neatly, but also decide on clothes based on temperature conditions and place of visit (to kindergarten, on a visit, for a walk, etc.).
- Knows how to put clothes away on a chair or in a closet.
- Has good hygiene skills (washing, oral hygiene, hair care).
- Uses a spoon, fork and knife, eats food carefully.
- Makes the bed.
- Able to independently maintain order in his room (tips from parents are necessary in the first stages).
All the actions that a child has learned in previous years are performed much faster and with better quality in older preschool age.
How to help your child develop his skills?
Of course, the question arises, how to help a child master all these numerous and sometimes complex skills? Having collected the experience of other parents and recommendations from teachers, we have identified five tips for instilling independence in children in everyday matters:
- Create colorful step-by-step instructions or checklists and hang them on the wall. Such cards will help kids remember the order of actions, which is especially important when getting dressed, when the child has to keep a long chain of operations in his head.
- Divide complex actions into small steps. Don’t try to teach your child everything at once; break down entire tasks into a sequence of individual operations. Today we learn to pull on socks, tomorrow we learn to put our foot into a shoe, and the day after tomorrow we focus on Velcro.
- Be consistent. Make it a rule that while the child is small, he solves one everyday problem in one way, this will allow him to quickly learn the necessary actions. You will expand your repertoire and work on creativity after mastering the basic skill, but for now try to keep things in their place, personal care procedures have their own routine, and a new hygiene item or item of clothing is not too different from its predecessor.
- Use short and clear instructions. What to take, what actions to take. Repeat instructions without changing the sequence of actions and use the same words and wording, this promotes memorization.
- Allow enough time. “We don’t have time to wait while he digs around!” — parents are indignant when we begin to understand the reasons for the child’s lack of independence. This approach not only does not allow the child to develop, but also exposes him to constant stress. Imagine if, after a couple of demonstrations, you were forced to quickly tie special sea knots or play some melody without mistakes. This is exactly how the child sees the situation. There are two options: initially allocate twice as much time for the necessary procedures or, as a last resort, help him complete the task.
conclusions
Despite the fact that self-service skills include a fairly significant number of mastered operations, in general, children who do not experience developmental delays cope with these tasks without difficulty. However, parents should remember to set aside time to master these skills through games and lots of repetition.
If a child systematically fails to cope with one or more self-care skills, parents should be wary and, if possible, seek advice from a child psychologist, because such a picture can be associated both with harmless individual characteristics of the child’s upbringing and development, and with more serious problems, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and can also be an indicator of the child’s emotional distress.
