2010 August | Grammy's Corner

Kid’s Development: Life Skills for Toddlers

Learning by Playing

Toddlers learn some of the most important life’s lessons through play during the early years. Children learn best when they engage in activities that they really like. Play allows them the chance to explore, imagine, and wonder at the world around them. Their observation skills stay alert to everyone and the activities within their surroundings. As toddlers grow, play is important to the development of(Gabby Bugwadia)

intelligence
imagination
motor skills
social interaction
emotional development

Intelligence

Toddlers look, listen, and learn as an adult reads to them.

Look, Listen, Learn

New research shows that toddlers can re-enact what they see, hear, and learn from picture books. Researchers know that picture books can help four to five year old preschoolers with a range of literary and life skills. The finding suggests that picture books may play a much greater role than simply entertaining toddlers and may help them understand the world and develop life skills.(ABC Science Online) Reading, storytelling, singing, finger plays provide the opportunity for language development. Toddlers begin to learn basic math skills through play while manipulating and observing items in their immediate environment. Toddlers need opportunities to participate in child-driven play where they can learn decision-making skills and their own areas of interest. Their observations stimulate their higher level thinking as they begin to concentrate and seek out bits and pieces of information while exploring the environment to promote intellectual growth.

Parenting Tips:
Why Baby Needs A Book

Imagination

If you have ever observed a toddler, you will notice they copy everything they see you doing. When toddlers play they are opening up their imagination and creativity to a whole new world. Some toddlers create an imaginary friend or pretend to care for the baby just like Mommy by placing the baby in a doll cradle. They might wash the dishes,try to put on clothes by themselves, play dress-up, or pretend to go to the store, imitating all the life skills they have observed family members performing. Sometimes, we will even see a child copy something that we don’t want repeated! They don’t know the difference from right or wrong, imitating only what they see. It is up to you, as the parent, to teach the child right or wrong through your own actions on a day to day basis. Through play toddlers develop their independence and master everyday life skills of imagination and creativity.

Motor Skills

Toddler Playing with Building Blocks

Toddlers develop gross and fine motor skills through play activities. The first muscles to develop are the large muscle group as the child begins to crawl, walk, run, jump, climb, throw and catch a ball. Their fine motor skills begin to develop as they learn to use a fork and spoon, pick up cereal with two fingers, stack blocks, play with construction sets, and color with crayons. During playtime the gross and fine motor skills are continually being used in one way or another. These need to be developed before the child can begin handwriting in school. Have you ever noticed someone with very poor handwriting? That’s because their fine motor skills were never developed well as a toddler.

Social Interaction

As kids get together for a play date, they learn how to behave, interact, get along and negotiate for toys or other play things. While playing in a group setting, the toddler will learn how to accept disappointment at not always getting his way or what they want, how to settle disputes, and not to insist on always having their way. Toddlers need to feel secure in their ownership before they can share. Forcing them to share can actually delay the development of sharing skills. Instead, introduce the concept of taking turns. Around this age, toddlers begin to seek companionship with kids their age. Initially they play side by side, but gradually begin to interact with each other. It’s never too early to give children language for their interactions with each other. Play teaches toddlers ways of how to socialize and get along with other kids.

Toddlers Playing Side by Side

Emotional Development

One of the most important tasks in parenting toddlers is helping them learn to manage their emotions. This life skill will be a crucial factor throughout their lives in not only relationships but academic and career success. Play helps toddlers to develop and better handle their emotions. It offers opportunities for toddlers to work out their fears while gaining emotional control and getting rid of anxieties. They are entitled to their feelings, which have a way of just showing up in human beings, like our arms and legs. But all humans, even little ones, should be held responsible for what they do with their arms and legs and feelings. Your job is teach them self management techniques while they are playing. Kids who receive a lot of empathy for their own feelings from the adults in their lives are the earliest to develop empathy for others, and research has shown that empathy for others is the cornerstone of successful interpersonal relationships.(Dr. Laura Markham)

Young children have a tremendous capacity to learn from the moment they are born, but optimal development hinges on the experiences provided for them by the adults who take care of them. In homes where play is encouraged, the minds and personalities of children develop effectively to its fullest potential. Each opportunity of play teaches toddlers many skills that will be advantageous later on in life. It is our job as parents to provide optimal play experiences to help toddlers master the steps that they take in life.

Parenting Tips:
Why Baby Needs A Book

Kid’s Rooms: The Toddler Bed

Knowing when the time is right to move a child from the crib to a toddler bed varies with each child’s development. The first time you find your child climbing out of her crib will be your first warning sign that she is ready for a toddler bed. Second, when your child becomes successfully potty trained, will be another signal to move him from the crib, so that he may go to the potty when necessary during the night. Third, if the arrival of a new baby requires the crib, your toddler needs to be transitioned to a big kid bed at least 2 months before the new baby arrives. Also, look for other signs such as sleeping through the night and the ability to self soothe. Most children reach this stage of development between 15 and 36 months.

Jodi A. Mindell,Ph.D., author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night’s Sleep, believes parents should wait as long as possible before making the switch, preferably until the child is closer to 3 years old. There are safety issues to consider because an 18 month old might wake up and roam around the house at night while the parents are asleep. Consider timing very carefully, don’t make more than one change in a toddler’s life at one time. If he is changing daycare centers, or gaining a new brother or sister, or moving into a new home, or potty training, this is not the time to switch beds. One major change at a time is enough for a young child to cope with.

Making the transition to a larger bed can be difficult for young children who feel safe and secure in their familiar crib. Make this new stage in your toddler’s life exciting for him. Talk with your child about growing up and changing to a big kid bed. Let him join in the excitement by helping to pick out his new bed and the bedding for it. This helps him develop ownership in the bed even before he sleeps in it. If you don’t have a toddler bed, place the crib or twin mattress on the floor for the child to sleep on until he is older. Or, if you already have the bed, maybe he can help pick out new sheets or a new stuffed animal to sleep with. Be sure to include something that belong to him from his crib. Try to put the new bed in the same location as his crib, to keep the night time visuals familiar. Keep a night time routine, going to bed at the same time every night and do not allow him to get out of bed to join you in your bed, not even one time. It only takes one time to break all the training you have been practicing.

If your child has trouble staying in his new bed, a children sleep expert, Mandy Gurney, Millpond Children Sleep Clinic, recommends a gradual retreat program to help teach children to settle alone at bedtime and go back to sleep by their self during the night. This technique will minimize crying and is less likely to disturb others in the house and the lucky parent whose turn it is to stay in bed!

Gradual retreat is a method of gradually distancing yourself from your child little by little until she no longer needs your presence to fall asleep at bedtime.
It should teach her how to return to sleep independently during the night.
STEP 1
After her usual bath and bedtime story routine, get her into bed with whatever cuddlies she sleeps with, and stroke her arm or shoulder as she settles.
STEP 2
Stop stroking and gently pat her to sleep. After a couple of minutes of steady patting start to pat intermittently, with gradually increasing intervals between contact.
STEP 3
Place a hand very lightly on her and rest it there for a couple of minutes. Then remove your hand and quietly “shhhhhhh” her as she drifts off.
STEP 4
This is where you start to quietly move your chair further away from her bed – quietly move it two feet away and sit for a couple of minutes; then move it to the middle of the room for a couple of minutes; and then move to beside the door. Once you’re in this spot, sit for 10 minutes to make sure she’s sleeping deeply. If you think she is, move your chair outside the door and give it another couple of minutes if you feel it’s necessary.
Keep up the good work
You’ll need to sit with your daughter and repeat this procedure, every time she wakes in the night until she has gone back to sleep again. You can customize this technique to suit you better – for example, you might want to sit by the bed on your chair or leaning against the wall until you’re sure she is asleep.
Depending on how well she’s coping, repeat each single step for three nights only and keep any interaction with her to a minimum.This sleep method normally takes around three or four weeks to complete. It’s likely to be challenging and frustrating for the first few nights, but eventually your child
will learn to settle herself and you shouldn’t be hearing the pitter patter of tiny feet late at night!

Toddler Beds

Toddler beds come in many different shapes and styles to match each child’s individuality. Your child’s new bed should be a place where he wants to sleep because he likes the bed. Some little girl’s prefer a very feminine bed like the Tiffany Rose Toddler Bed. It is an all wood bed with a bow embossed on the headboard and the foot board with beautiful rose bouquets coming out of a green bow. Trailing rose buds run down the side of the bed. This toddler bed has accompanying side pieces such as a vanity and stool, storage bench, doll cradle, table and chairs, and doll high chair.

Or, a young man may be interested in a jeep. You might choose to set his room up with a safari jeep in a jungle theme. This Safari Jeep Toddler Bed is made out of solid wood and painted to look like a zebra. While sleeping in this bed, little adventurers can dream about wild adventures in the outback.

For those children who have parents in the military, we have the Military Jeep Toddler Bed with a Foot Locker Toy Box. These boxes, made of solid wood, will be around for awhile. Little soldiers and adventurers need a good rest after a long day of adventure. They love sleeping in their special bed, dreaming of tomorrows adventures, and they are ready for dawn patrol the moment they wake up. A standard sized crib mattress fits this little adventurer’s toddler bed. All wood construction and hand crafted from laminated Baltic birch and other solid woods. The Bed measures 29 x 53 inches. The entrance is 12 – 13 inches above the floor. Available in Military Green or Pink.

The Foot Locker Toy Chest is a basic, tough box to hold lots of stuff. The safety closure keeps the lid from slamming on little fingers. Made from all wood construction and hand crafted from imported laminated wood. Available in Green, Yellow, Red or Pink The chest measures 15″ x 15″ x 29″

Choosing a toddler bed can be fun because they come in many different shapes and styles for whatever design you decide to use in your child’s room. Just be sure your child likes the bed and wants to sleep in it. After all, that is the goal,