TODDLERS are learning to be a part of the family. They observe and try to sound and act like the adults around them or those who are closest to them.
Try as they may, of course they lack the experience and maturity to be like an “adult”. Most of the time, they are overwhelmed by the expectations to be “good”. Parents have to understand that while their toddlers may be full of enthusiasm to be “good”, they can lose control of their emotions.
It is difficult for a tot of three years to fully comprehend when you say: “Be a good boy. Mummy loves you. You must pick up your toys.”
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| pick up toys n sit on 'em. |
Or, “You are a big boy now. You do not need your pacifier.” You need to be more specific when you want something from them.
Direct your toddler’s attention to what he needs to do by saying: “You need to put away your toys now because we are going out to the shopping mall.” Getting him to give up something that he’s always had may take some effort. Start a new activity that can keep his mind off his beloved pacifier.
Toddlers between one and three years old are capable of doing things, like feeding themselves. With practice, they may even be able to clean up their own mess. Parents need to trust them to be independent, and be patient with them during the learning stage.
Children need to have some quiet time, too. After a full afternoon of activities, your toddler may want to cuddle up to you on the sofa and read a book together. He may feel just as good if you lie down quietly beside him and not do anything at all.
Give your child opportunities also to do things for other members of the family. Let them be of help and feel confident of their abilities and pride in themselves. Don’t forget that they like attention.
The right kind of attention is when you feel others’ respect for you and their acceptance of you as an equal.
Instead of telling your toddler that he is too young for this and that, show him how to do simple tasks so that he, too, can contribute to them.
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| i show u how to arrange a flower.. emm... |
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| just take everything n put everything inside the flowers.. |
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| taaddaaaaaa!!!!!!! |
But accept your young child’s failures as he attempts the tasks. Toddlers can’t succeed at the first try. Get them to keep on trying until they have learned the skill.
They feel encouraged when they are told that you notice how hard they’ve worked at it. Children focus on the process of doing things and not on the outcome.
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| me so pwoud of meself.. hihii.... |
Children in their first six years of life will go through periods of intense fascination for something that requires a particular skill. No adults can teach them this skill as they have a remarkable aptitude for such things. Many parents may have noticed their toddlers’ delight in repeating a particular movement.
I remember a little girl of three years who just loved pouring water. She would spend her entire playgroup time just transferring water from one jug to another. Her mother was agitated by her act, and wanted her to do something more constructive.
What her mother was unaware of was that her little girl had observed how things were done at home. She was trying to be like the rest of the people in her family. Pouring water and washing up are daily household chores. And the child was moving towards achieving independence.
Tug-of-war between parent and child occurs frequently in homes where the adults are not confident of allowing the kids to try things on their own. Some mothers will say: “They will mess up when they do things themselves.”
Consequently, many young children lack the experience that makes them competent and confident. They end up feeling helpless.
We want our children to think that they can attempt a new task. We want them to feel capable of giving it a go. A great deal of learning in school depends on a child’s confidence to try new things. If he has not built up confidence in himself, he will be more likely to think or say: “I can’t do it.
So, there u go parents... remember, ENCOURAGE... not discourage hokayy..
ok, babai..
credit ~ text : RUTH LIEW (The star newspaper 29.6.2011)
