Kids naturally learn from watching and imitating. From the very beginning, babies and toddlers try to speak, move and act like the children and adults around them. How many times have you seen a small child pick up a phone and pretend to have a whole conversation? They learn by watching us and by attempting to do these things on their own. Allowing kids to help around the house is a great way to encourage independence, curiosity and creativity. It also provides opportunities for learning and practicing important skills. We recently had the opportunity to try a great learning tool from Little Partners which allows all ages to get more involved.
My toddler watches TV.
Emotions can be a difficult thing to understand. As adults, even we have trouble handling our emotions sometimes. For kids who are still learning to communicate, putting their feelings into words can feel impossible. My daughter recently turned 2, and although she has quite the vocabulary, she often has trouble communicating her feelings. She has recently started throwing bigger tantrums when she is angry (hello terrible twos!), and makes claims that she is afraid of the dark. (One of her favorite things to do is hide in closets or our shed, so I’m pretty sure this claim is more of a bedtime stalling tactic than an actual fear). I have been trying lots of techniques to help her handle the big emotions she experiences. So far, the greatest one has been the introduction of the Moodsters.
