More amazing things you can learn from your toddler
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: toddlers are inspirational. They have an intuitive way of thinking about things and their headspace isn’t as full as yours might be. It doesn’t harm to revisit ways of thinking that may be totally forgotten about.
Be in the moment
A leap of imagination – see the magic in your toddler’s tiny jump
It can be easy to forget how difficult small actions are for our toddlers, especially when we’re busy with the million things on our to-do list and they want us to watch them ‘jump’ yet again – and then they barely move at all! In those moments, try to take a minute before you move on with other things to marvel at how incredible their little jump really is.
To jump, your toddler has to coordinate and balance their whole body – this is no mean feat!
Why choose a balance bike first? An expert gives their reasons for binning the pedals
Learning to ride a bike is a big moment for any child – and their parent! It can also feel like trying to teach someone to breathe, it’s been so long since you learnt to ride a bike (if you, in fact, do know how) that explaining it to your toddler can seem impossible.
We asked Karen Wood, balance bike expert and co-owner of Kidvelo® Bikes, to share why she loves balance bikes – and why you should choose one too!
Busy crowds and curious toddlers – what to do if you lose your child in a public place
Having an independent, curious toddler (and their ability to move faster than it seems they should) means that your anxiety around being out and about in a busy crowd might be ramping up. This is normal, and there are plenty of ways to keep your toddler close – especially if they still enjoy a ride in the buggy! However, knowing what to do if your child becomes separated from you will be an important way to boost your confidence, as well as help you and your child if this ever happens.
There is no way to completely remove the risk of losing your toddler when you’re out and about, but there are plenty of things you can do to prepare them, and yourself, for the possibility.
Of course you're a cat, I can totally see that!
Does your toddler insist on wearing the same outfit all the time or do they prefer a particular colour cup? If so, fear not, it’s common for toddlers to become intensely interested in certain toys and objects while they develop their own interests and understanding of the world.
Toddlers love familiar things; they might have a favourite blanket, toy, book or colour. If they do, it is perfectly normal and developmentally appropriate.
Tools for your toddler when it comes to instructions
Your toddler will hear lots of requests and instructions every day. They can be straightforward, such as, “Find your coat,” or quite challenging, “Pop your teddy on the table next to the plate then come to me.” It's quite tricky for toddlers to understand longer instructions, so there are some basic things you can do when you talk to your toddler which will help them follow more complicated requests.
The ability to follow instructions is essential in life
Tips for encouraging talk with your toddler
Hearing your toddler talk and make sounds when they play is one of the cutest things. However, their talk can only be focused on the things they already know. We’ve got some ways to help you introduce new sounds and words, while also giving them new ideas for play.
This can be a toy phone, or an imaginary phone made using blocks, or any toy your toddler chooses. Try having a conversation on the phone when playing with your toddler. Talking on the phone while engaging in play creates a different world for them to feel part of.
Why you should let your toddler puzzle it out... even when you’re itching to jump in
Watching your toddler play with a simple puzzle can be its own form of torture – especially if it’s taking them what feels like hours to fit a small cut out of a cat into a clearly very cat-shaped hole on the board! But, although our instinct is so often to help them ‘finish’, this might not be what your toddler needs. There are many, many skills being practised which might be more important to your toddler than finishing the puzzle.
Your toddler is exploring the puzzle piece, and board, every time they play with it. Their fine motor skills, which allow them to move and control the tiny muscles in their fingers, are now more sophisticated and your toddler can move the puzzle piece, turn it and flip it over. They might spend a long time doing this, and perhaps trying and failing to fit it into its space.
Storytime shapes – inspire mark making with books about lines and circles
Your toddler is becoming more able to control their fine motor movements, and is now linking their movements to the marks they make. They will still need some help to recall what they are drawing, so might enjoy watching you draw then copying you. These three sweet books about line and shape will inspire lots of imagination next time you draw together.
How you, and the world around them, help your toddler to become a confident walker
When we think about our toddler becoming a confident walker, our focus is probably on their muscles getting stronger or their movements being more coordinated. Some scientists suggest that we shouldn’t think about the development of movement without thinking about the world around your toddler.
The development of movement depends on environment – and your toddler learns more about the environment when they can move (this is known as the development systems view).
