If I want it, its mine
If I give it to you and change my mind later,
It’s mine
If I can take it away from you, its mine.
If I had it a while ago, its mine.
If its mine, it will never belong to anyone
else no matter what.
If we are building something together,
All the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like mine, it is mine.
This appeared in the Syndicate Weekly newspaper article ‘Families Today’ by T Berry Brazelton and is a humorous reminder of normal toddler behavior.
We all have tried to engage toddlers in meaningful activities at home. In this article we would like to provide you with some insight on how to present any activity to a young child.
A toddler may resist an activity one day and then welcome the same activity on another day. We need to be flexible and supportive while working with toddlers.
Remember, children imitate what adults do.
We all know this, but forget it while working with them. For example, when you want to teach your child how to carry a glass, you cannot expect him to understand that you can carry one glass in each hand while he should carry one glass with two hands. Children cannot understand expectations, they only do what they see.
Break things down into simple, orderly steps and verbalize what you are doing.
While tidying up a room, pick up the towel first, then the clothes and lastly the toys. Also, say, ‘I am picking up the towel.’ This will teach the child sequencing and help him to break the process of tidying up in a logical manner which will make it easier to for him to understand.
Introduce only one activity at a time.
Do not try to do too many things together, take it slow. Once the activity becomes a part of the child’s routine, then present the next exercise. Just because you want to reach a goal, do not rush to get things done.
In the next few articles, we will be illustrating simple activities that you can do with your toddler at home. I will also provide an insight into the benefits of these activities. In the meantime, try to implement the above rules and observe the changes.
