Preschool guides
Short articles for this stage, reviewed against AAP and CDC guidance.
TLDRPreschool: the few things to know, for busy parents
- A missing milestone is a reason to look closer, not a diagnosis. From 3, your school district offers free evaluations. Read the guide
- Ages 3-5 need about 10-13 hours of sleep. Keep the same short bedtime routine every night. Read the guide
- Fears of the dark and monsters are normal. Take them seriously and shrink them with small brave steps. Read the guide
- Use correct names for body parts, teach "surprises, not secrets", and believe a child who tells you something. Read the guide
- Turn-taking is easier than sharing. Coach with simple scripts like "Can I play?" rather than rescuing. Read the guide
- Kindergarten readiness is mostly social and self-care skills. Read together daily; no flashcard drills needed. Read the guide
Behavior 7
- Teaching Young Kids Body Safety, Privacy and Consent Correct names for body parts, private-parts rules, surprises vs secrets, no forced hugs, trusted adults and responding to disclosure.
- Preschooler Fears: The Dark, Monsters, Dogs and Worries Normal fears by age, how to validate and use small brave steps, bedtime fears, and when worries are too much.
- Helping Preschoolers Make Friends and Get Along How play grows from parallel to cooperative, sharing and turn-taking at 3 to 5, exclusion, shy kids and playdates.
- Calm-Down Corner and Coping Tools for Preschoolers Body clues, a feelings thermometer, a calm-down corner and a simple feelings plan for 3 to 5 year olds.
- Why Is My Preschooler Lying? Tall Tales and Honesty at 3 to 5 Why preschoolers lie or tell tall tales, how to respond without traps or shame, and how honesty grows.
- Sore Loser? Teaching Preschoolers to Share, Win and Lose How to teach turn-taking, losing gracefully and kind winning through games and play at 3 to 5.
- How to Stop Whining and Endless Negotiating in Preschoolers Why whining and bargaining peak at 3 to 5, and how to teach a strong voice, offer choices and hold limits.
Play and development 7
- Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten? Skills That Really Matter Kindergarten readiness is mostly social, emotional and self-care skills; what to practice, cutoffs and redshirting.
- Developmental Milestones at 3, 4 and 5 Years CDC milestones at 3, 4 and 5 years for social, language, thinking and movement skills, and when to ask for a check.
- Preschooler Stuttering and Unclear Speech: What's Normal Normal disfluency vs stuttering, how to help, which speech sounds come later, and when to get a speech evaluation.
- Early Math at Home: Counting, Shapes and Patterns Simple everyday ways to build number sense, counting, shapes and patterns with preschoolers through play.
- Getting Ready to Read: Letters, Sounds and Stories at 3 to 5 The building blocks of reading, everyday games for letters and sounds, and why there's no rush to read early.
- Is an Imaginary Friend Normal? Pretend Play at 3 to 5 Why pretend play and imaginary friends are healthy, how to join in, and handling scary or rough play themes.
- When to Start Sports and Classes for Preschoolers How much activity 3 to 5 year olds need, when team sports make sense, swim lessons and avoiding overscheduling.
Sleep 1
Health 2
- Bedwetting in Kids: Why It Happens and When It Stops Why night wetting is common through age 5 or 6, what helps now, what doesn't, and when to check in.
- Is It Normal for My Child to Touch Their Private Parts? What body curiosity is typical at 2 to 5, how to teach privacy without shame, and behavior that needs a closer look.
Getting ready 1
Everyday care 1
Feeding 1
Family life 1
Want to go deeper? See the experts and books behind these guides, or the library Cradle answers from.