Your 4-year-old now
The average 4-year-old can count up to ten, although he may not get the numbers in the right order every time. One big hang-up in going higher? Those pesky numbers like 11 and 20. The irregularity of their names doesn't make much sense to a preschooler.
Don't get caught up in trying to persuade your child to count much beyond ten or 20 right now. Most fours can't fully comprehend how larger numbers correspond to actual quantity. They usually count between four and ten objects correctly. A child this age who rattles off numbers in sequence higher than 20 is generally doing so from sheer memorization.
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What's most important now is to practice with the smaller numbers your child can handle. "Would you rather have the bowl with four crackers or six? What happens if we mix both together? Do we get more?" A measuring tape is another visual way to show your child how ten is bigger than four. Give him lots of practice estimating, measuring, and counting in casual encounters at meals or while playing.
Your life now
What do you listen to in the car? Some families start popping in children's music during toddlerhood and then never move out of the habit. But life's too short to spend all your driving time listening to songs you can't stand to hear one more time. It's your car, too! Some parents simply listen to whatever they prefer, but not all music or radio programming is appropriate for young ears. Ideally, play a wide variety of musical styles, from classical to pop to jazz, to broaden your child's auditory palate.
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