“Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.” www.verybestquote.com
The Parent/Toddler class is an amazing group of parents, grandparents, and children. We have so much fun playing, learning, discovering, exploring, and making new and lasting friendships. They are also becoming experts in handprint art! This month, we will be making handprints and playing again with sparkling paint! We will also learn about our five senses: hearing, smelling, seeing, touching, and tasting.
Support your toddler’s need for independence
Here are some practical ideas for supporting your child’s developing independence and confidence by tuning into their desire to make decisions and choices:
Praise your child for having a go when they try something new – even if it isn’t successful or doesn’t work out.
Let your child make simple choices from limited options – for example, choosing between a banana or an apple for a snack, deciding on red or yellow shoes, or picking a book to read.
Let your child make “safe” mistakes – that’s how your child learns. Also, let your child experiment with things like how to move around on playground equipment.
Encourage your child to help you sweep, make a snack, or other chores around the house, including putting away toys.
Chores help toddlers feel “big” and good about themselves. At the same time, it’s important to keep up special rituals, like a bedtime story, to let toddlers know they’re still your “baby”.
Encourage thinking, problem-solving, and other skills
Using play to learn:
Play with your child, and follow your child’s lead by letting them decide what games to play. If your child wants to choose, encourage games that involve turn-taking and sharing.
Encourage make-believe play, which stimulates the imagination and lets children work through ideas.
Incorporate play into everyday routines – for example, playing in the bath or singing a song while packing toys away.
Building brain pathways
Give your child the chance to repeat favorite activities. This helps your child’s brain build pathways that strengthen skills. For example, taking the cutlery out of the drawer and putting it back, again and again, helps your child develop motor and problem-solving skills.
Reading the same books over and over might get a bit boring for you, but kids love familiarity. You can build your child’s thinking skills by asking “What happens next?”
Aim for no screen time for children under two years, and no more than one hour a day for children over two years. Toddlers develop best through physical play with hands-on experiences.
Your toddler’s relationship with you – and their relationships with other children later on – are extremely important. Toddlers learn their social skills in these relationships.
Happy April!