ow do you entertain a grumpy three-year-old? My strategy is generally: (a) panic; (b)\u00a0rustle about in my bag for some breadsticks or \u2013 if she\u2019s lucky \u2013 a colouring book; (c)\u00a0hand over my iPhone and let her watch some cartoons \u2013 all the while worrying I\u2019m stunting her brain development.<\/p>\n
My friend, however, has a different strategy. One morning we were enjoying a coffee when, to distract her three-year-old daughter, she serenely reached into her bag and handed her a sheet of paper with six or seven three-letter words on it and a red pen. She then proceeded to read the words out at random, while her daughter correctly circled each one. It was impressive. I was horrified.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d never considered doing similar activities with my own daughter, just four months younger. Although we read to her before bed each night, I\u2019d always assumed formal reading and writing was just something she\u2019d pick up when she went to school. Perhaps I\u2019d got it terribly wrong.<\/p>\n
About a week later, when dropping my daughter off at nursery, I was handed a leaflet about parenting classes. Like many mums, no one taught me how to raise my children \u2013 I\u2019ve simply muddled by on instinct and the odd book. But perhaps there\u2019s a more evidence-based way to raise happy and successful kids. Maybe I needed to enrol at Parent School.<\/p>\n