If there is what we call a "mid-life" crisis for adult, is there such a “toddler-stage” crisis? Lately, my younger son Gabee keeps pestering me as he would always cry whenever he wants something. He often wants to be cuddled and pampered for the rest of the day especially when he had fight with his kuya (elder brother) which would really make me cranky. They fight for almost anything most of the day. Yuan always take the toys Gabee loves to play with. And they (most often Yuan) easily lost affection with their toys by which you may need to give them new toys for them to indulge with again. It seems that they demand more attention from me, more than what I can give. It is really annoying on my part as I cannot do other things besides playing with them.
I remember the time when Yuan is of the same age of Gabee, he acted the same. I thought then that he was not ready to have a baby brother yet on that age (for he was only one-year old then when I gave birth to Gabee). I consoled him by giving all my attention to make him secure with my love towards him. However, it’s really a different story now because I have two kids that need to be dealt accordingly.
Due to this experience of mine, I did some research about behaviors of children as they reach the toddler stage. I’m fortunate to find the National Network for Child Care (NNCC), that tackles the development of a toddler which also suggests activities for different age level in the toddler stage. I realized that I’ve overlooked some of Gabee's needs (he’ll be only 2 on Oct.26) because I have treated him like Yuan who is now 3 years old.
The site provides information about toddlers’ behaviors, the things we should expect from them and the activities they love to do. Here are the recommended activities for the toddlers according to NNCC:ACTIVITIES TO TRY:1. Take some time to watch your toddlers playing. Notice the differences in their physical development: height, weight, how they relate to you and to other children, and their energy levels. Some children seem to never sit still, while others seem happy to sit down with a book.
2. Toddlers learn by exploring and experimenting. They love to do things over and over. Some activities that toddlers enjoy are listed below.ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN:* Roll a ball to them to catch.
* Provide blocks for them to build with.
* Provide safe mirrors for them to look at themselves in. Talk with them about their reflections in the mirror.
* Let them fill containers over and over again.
* Have them listen and move to music.
* Play hide and seek.
* Let them push or pull a favorite toy.
* Provide wheeled toys without pedals.
* Look at picture books with them and talk about the pictures.
* Talk about the size, shape, and texture of everyday objects.
* Make comparisons such as "this ball is bigger than that ball."
* Talk about cause-and-effect relationships such as "if you push this block, the whole pile of blocks will fall over."TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN:* Encourage toddlers to run, jump, and climb outside.
* Sing simple songs with them.
* Sing and act out songs with simple movements.
* Play pat-a-cake.
* Teach them simple finger plays.
* Tell them simple, short stories (especially those about themselves or other two-year-old children).
* Let them pound a toy workbench.
* Let them play in a sandbox. Give them water to measure and pour.
* Let them stack blocks and other objects.
* Provide things that can be taken apart and put back together (such as pop beads).
* Ask children to name things in the pictures of picture books. Give them the correct word if they cannot think of it.
* Give them simple directions to follow.
* Play matching games and use simple puzzles with them.
* Encourage pretending by providing dolls, housekeeping toys, dress-up clothes, and toy telephones.
* Introduce art activities such as scribbling and/or painting with crayons, chalk, and paint.
* Provide play dough and finger paint.
* Begin toilet training when the toddler is ready. Also, begin teaching hand washing and tooth brushing.
* Encourage the development of routines.
Parenthood is surely a challenging obligation. It takes a lot of effort, patience, understanding and decision-making, etc. --- or collectively called “wisdom”. The article provided in the NNCC site would surely help us as our reference in understanding our children’s behavior. But, let us not forget what the Holy Bible is saying about rearing up a child:
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV):
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
So, in what way do we want our child to go? The answer is up to us.
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