Your four-year-old's delightful imagination may suddenly turn your bedroom into a train station, a castle, or both. But imagination may also turn deceptive. Your four-year-old may suddenly insist the cat ate her cupcake, her bed somehow got wet from the rain, and maybe it was Grandma who spilled nail polish on the furniture.
You motivate your preschooler best when you appeal to their desire to play. Whatever the task, turn it into a game, make it fun. You might even let them take the lead and create a game you both can play. Your four-year-old is wired to have fun with you.
Whether it's showcased by pouring all the dish soap into the sink at once, or the constant repetition of "Why? Why? Why?", your preschooler is eager to know how the world works. So when they ask you "Why" for the second and third time, remember they're just looking for more of the knowledge they know you must have as an adult person.
Life for your four-year-old can be confusing. It's okay to throw a ball, but not a rock. You can hug your friend, but not squeeze his neck. Your three-year-old is learning the rules for life and encountering some necessary discipline. The way you consistently meet their needs, engage their senses, and provide discipline will help them develop self-control.
You help them learn when you... ENGAGE THEIR SENSES.
You capture their heart when you ... CULTIVATE THEIT SELF-CONTROL.
You coach their moral abilities when you ... DISCIPLINE CONSISTENTLY.
Your three-year-old has many questions. Some might be about creation, heaven, church, and the Bible ... and some of their questions might already be hard to answer. Don't panic. Just like other topics, answer faith questions as simply as possible. If they need to ask more, they will.