| Your Toddler … | You Can … |
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| Is eager to watch and play with peers. She learns so many important skills through imitation and she learns about how relationships work through interaction. | - Provide opportunities for him to play with other children. Research shows that toddlers are fascinated by and learn from their peers.
- Don’t expect or pressure your toddler to share — he’s not ready yet. You can start to introduce the idea of “turn taking” by saying, “Now it is Sara’s turn ... Now it’s Bob’s turn,” as you pass a toy back and forth. But if your baby doesn’t accept this concept, don’t push it!
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| Is driven to explore and will require guidance from you about what she can and can’t do. | Distract and divert! While toddlers do understand “No! Don’t touch that!” and may stop themselves when they hear you say it, they do not yet have the impulse control to stop themselves from doing it again. It’s very easy to fall into a trap of saying “no” all day long. So, rather than say “no,” try re-directing your child’s attention with a substitute toy or activity, something to which you can say, “Yes!” |
| Will do certain things every day ... eat, sleep, wake up, get dressed. Establish routines around these activities, because toddlers find comfort in structure and predictability; plus, it will help avoid power struggles in the years ahead. | - Establish a regular bedtime routine: bath, book, song and bed or whatever works for you. The specifics aren’t nearly as important as the fact that your toddler will be able to predict what’s going to happen when, and not have to worry about surprises.
- Mealtime is another good place for routine:. “Before you leave the high chair, we have to wipe your hands!”
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| Imitates your actions. By sweeping the floor, stirring a play pot, etc., she’s actually taking her first steps into the world of imagination and ideas. Learning to pretend lays the foundation for advanced thinking skills. | - Encourage make-believe by helping to set the stage and joining her play: “Are you making dinner?” or “Tell me about what you are cooking.”
- Provide lots of good props. A block can become a car; a chair can become a cave; an old box becomes, well, anything! Let her know how much you appreciate her imagination.
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Source: Copyright 2001 ZERO TO THREE. Adapted from The Magic of Everyday Moments™: 12–15 months with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction requires express permission of ZERO TO THREE.