They also start to have more small muscle control and are able to make representative pictures. They are also very active and aggressive while playing. [Powell, J. and Smith, C.A. (1994)].
With reference to social and emotional development, they learn to share their things, understand the rules imposed on them and need encouragement to express their feelings with words. They enjoy behaving like important adults and love to be dealt as adults. They enjoy being appreciated for their achievements and are now more independent. In terms of their intellectual development, their attention span is longer than toddlers and they are able to participate in group activities. They are able to communicate their needs, ideas and become a depository of questions. They yearn for a variety of activities with equal share of indoor as well as outdoor activities. They become very communicative and enjoy serious discussions with questions like "how", "why" etc. Their reasoning abilities also develop and they are able to understand basic concepts like number, size, weight, color, texture etc. [Malley, C. (1991)].
If nurtured well, the parents will be able to shape the child's personality and development of individual ways of thinking and behaving. Positive parenting activities including reading to the child, allowing the child to help in simple household chores, encourage in interacting with other children that would help in learning the values of sharing and friendship. Parents should encourage fostering their language by speaking in complete sentences and talking like adults, which cultivates language development and skills. By exposing the child to different things throughout the day, and then talking about them, will stimulate and broaden their growth potential. [Author Unknown2, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/preschoolers.htm].
The parents should keep an eye on any signs of possible developmental delay in the child and should consult their pediatrician immediately under such circumstances.
