My 19-month-old toddler, Kaitie, has been going through a phase. Sometimes this stage seems to make her clingy, calling "Mommy, Mommy!" throughout the house.
The upside for me is that Kaitie has become mommy's little shadow. She follows me all over the house and tries very hard to help me work. Yesterday, I found her sitting at my desk, pen and paper in hand, scratching down notes and stopping to stare into space, or "think"-just as I do when I write. It is very flattering to be imitated by a small child. It is also an awesome responsibility.
Toddler Learning: Just Like Mommy
Kaitie especially loves helping Mommy in the kitchen. Early on, I moved her little play kitchen into my kitchen so she could copy my tasks with her own equipment. While this is fun for play, she prefers to use my pots and pans and big spoons to do her cooking. Recently, I've placed a chair, just out of reach of the stove, so that she can watch, but not touch. I try to use cooking time for some kitchen learning, talking with her about this and that. We might count out how many teaspoons go into a recipe, or discuss the color of the food we're preparing.
Probably Kaitie's favorite part of my kitchen is the Lazy Susan in the corner.
She loves to spin it around and choose her own food. She loves canned green beans, corn, carrots, and Chef BoyardeeTM Ravioli!
I think that choosing her food has really helped her appetite and her eating habits. Even when I pick our foods, Kaitie happily hands me the cans I need. This gives her an important job and lets her know that she is really helping.
Toddler Activities Bring New Discoveries
Today a very large can caught Kaitie's eye for the first time. "Cookie, cookie!" she cried. While I tried to find out where she had seen cookies, she reached for a can of shortening. Now, of course, Kaitie relies on the pictures to tell her what is inside cans. The shortening can has a beautiful picture of chocolate chip cookies on the side. So, with the logic of a toddler, she decided the can must contain cookies!
With the logic of an adult, I calmly tried to explain that the can could be used for making cookies, but did not in fact contain cookies. As you can imagine, this approach failed-and quickly. She became upset that I wouldn't give her the cookies she wanted. Finally, we opened the can together and I showed a very disappointed little girl the yucky white stuff taking up space where her cookies should have been!
It is at times like these when I really appreciate being a mother. I watch her and learn from her every day. Her methods of gathering information fascinate me. I realize that we have a long way to go before she will be grown and ready to face the world. I also realize how far we have come from the helpless stages of a small infant who needed everything from me without being able to communicate anything. It is such a wonderful journey. Who knows where it will take us next?
Callie Lyons Cockerham is a mom and freelance writer in Belpre, Ohio.