Teaching children about procedures to be done should be a routine part of interacting with pre-school children. Keep in mind, however, that the pre-school child has limited reasoning abilities, so it is not helpful to explain in any detail the purpose of a procedure. Explanations should be simple and matter of fact. Most preschool children fantasize and are quite vulnerable to fear of pain and bodily harm. It is important for the nurse to help children to express their fears and to deal with them openly. Teaching topics for parents of pre-school children include understanding the importance and role of play, dealing with sexual curiosity, beginning school adjustment, and handling eating and sleeping problems.
Remember that the preschool age child is just beginning contact with the larger outside word. To avoid overwhelming the preschooler with choices, give the child no more than two or three. For example, „Would you rather look at the pictures about the test you will be having or have me show your dolly about the test?“ is a choice preschoolers can make. Parents continue to provide support for this age group and can be helpful participants in the teaching-learning session. The use of play, active participation, and sensory experiences work well for this age group. Physical and visual stimuli are better than verbal ones since the language ability of the preschooler is limited.