Caring for Toddlers
By Ruth Willms
Toddlers are busy explorers. They love to try new things and use materials in many different ways. They want to be independent, exercising their strong sense of ownership. I should know. My twin grandsons, Sam and Jack, just turned two.
I remember the days when my own children were toddlers. I always say I wish I knew then what I know now. I adored my little ones but I expected them to act like older children. I often looked at their natural behavior in a negative manner. They didn’t sit still very long. They had short attention spans. They wanted their own way and their toys were always getting lost or in my path.
I t wasn’t until I took Early Childhood Education and practiced what I learned in Playschool and later in my dayhome that I learned to understand these little people. My first set of grandchildren, Darian and Cassidy, and now my new set of grandchildren benefit.
As caregivers in the home or in daycare we need to create a setting for toddlers. Structure their environment to suit their activities. By watching their behavior you can determine how many toys to put out. Realize you are going to have to pick them up when they dump them. Someone I know hung a pail from the toy shelf filled with toys especially to dump. Everything accessible to the toddlers needs to be touchable and even mouthable. Equipment for climbing and jumping are a great asset.
Toddlers like to test limits, so to make it easier for you, let the environment set the limits. If they are climbing on the tables or other inappropriate furniture maybe they need more climbing equipment or a crawl through tunnel. Remember to rotate the toys and equipment every two weeks so they have new appeal.
Avoid power struggles. Give them choices instead or you will be butting heads with them continually. You want to prevent harmful behavior. It is better to lead a child back to the table with food then just using words alone to direct him.
Welcome sensorimotor behavior. They love dumping puzzles as much as putting them together. Make sure all the furnishings, equipment and materials are safe to climb on or pull, even as you discourage this. Think prevention. This age group finds destruction fun and can’t always distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable activities. Keep the music activities and story time short. They have a short attention span and are more individual players then group listeners. Most of all, love them, enjoy them, and have fun.
Ruth Willms is co-owner of WAHM-articles.com and the author of a children’s novel, The Lion Tree, a Christian fantasy.
February 20th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
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