Listed below are tips to easily encourage your little one to talk. Read on to learn how to help them expand their vocabulary and use language variety consistently.
Interacting directly with toddlers is an effective way to teach the ABCs, according to Scholastic's Francie Alexander. Try singing the alphabet song with toddlers, drawing letters and reading books together. Spend time sounding out the letters for toddlers to hear to help them form a mental connection between the letter and the sound it makes. Allowing toddlers free drawing time, without the aid of coloring books, will help them draw lines and curves, the building blocks of the written alphabet.
A vegan diet, which is free of any animal products, can adequately meet the nutrient needs of a rapidly developing toddler as long as proper planning is involved. As with any diet, parents must offer a variety of healthy foods to avoid nutrient deficiencies and ensure proper weight gain. A vegan diet must include a reliable source of vitamin B12, most commonly found in animal products, and offer sufficient calories and fat for the growing 1- to 3-year-old child.
We've all heard of the "Terrible Twos." The toddler years are marked by intense emotion and feelings on the part of the little one--these reactions can be magnified if your child's temperament is naturally more intense. Disciplining toddlers with more sensitive and intense temperaments is done in the same way disciplining a more easy going child--it will just take more patience, perhaps more repetitions and better planning on the part of the parents.
Toddlers are little bundles of non-stop energy. Sitting down is not one of their strong suits. Parents can encourage their energetic tots to enjoy some quiet family time at the table for meals. Make the table a comfortable place for the toddler and the whole family. Minimize trouble zones for the toddler by removing glass centerpieces or salt and pepper shakers, which can invite curious toddlers to play and make a mess rather than eat their meal. Tuck the ends of a tablecloth so they are out of reach to minimize the toddler's temptation to tug on it. In the beginning, realize that toddlers will get up from the table frequently, but if you stick with the idea that food is eaten at the table, they will eventually sit until they are done with their meal.
Every morning it's the same: you want your child to get dressed and he doesn't. From stubborn arguing to throwing a screaming, kicking tantrum, the battle over the clothes is fatiguing. Your choices appear limited; you can insist on unquestioned obedience on pain of punishment or you can give in and label yourself as a wimpy mom ruled by her child. These aren't your only choices, however. There are things you can do to convince your child to wear clothes.
When you envision a schedule, you may have a picture in your mind of setting times for activities. While this may work for school children, or in a work environment, it will not work for toddlers. Creating a schedule for these increasingly independent children is more about creating structure and stability than it is about the clock. The only part of the child's schedule which should have a consistent time is bedtime. Toddlers are not tiny robots, and if you try to force them into a too regimented schedule, they will either act out or shut down on you. Opt for a gentle but firm approach to creating a safe and predictable routine for a toddler, with room for spontaneity.
Toddlers enjoy art activities that involve the sense of touch. Allowing a toddler to put his hands in paint and arts and crafts material is more enjoyable to him than giving him a paintbrush and separating him from the tactile experience. Art that allows the toddler to feel things with his hands is what is important to him, according to Dr. Karen DeBord, a child development specialist. Spread out a tarp or old sheet on the floor underneath a table. Cover the table with a cloth and give the child a smock if he will wear it. Then, let the toddler dig into the art materials and get messy.
There are many vacations spots that cater specifically to families, especially those with adventurous, high-energy toddlers and preschoolers. These destinations offer room for exploration and fun and are sure to please any busy, rambunctious toddler.
Toddlers have been described as "long on will and short on skill." This is a time of major transitions and growing pains. Toddlers are transitioning from fully dependent babies into children with separate identities. Toddlers like to explore as long as their parents are within reach. Many toddlers trot off from mom or dad and then "touch base" with their parents, a symbol of their budding independence.
