Things Your Preschooler Needs From You

It is becoming increasingly difficult for a child to simply be a child in their preschool years, as now the pressure to perform academically is resulting in kindergarten becoming the new first grade, and preschool becoming the new kindergarten. Erika Christakis, an early childhood educator and mom, addresses this phenomenon of parents and educators worrying about children being "behind" by the time they get to kindergarten and says the one thing that can "fix" it all is actually very simple: play.

In her new book, The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need From Grownups ($18, originally $28), Christakis goes in depth to explain what she calls a "false dichotomy" between academics and play, and encourages parents to push back as there should be no trade-off between the two things.

We spoke to Christakis about her book and got some amazing tips to help parents understand what their preschooler actually needs from them, and how meaningful play can change their child's future.