Taking toddlers to restaurants – why it’s really good for them
Does the thought of dining out as a family fill you with joy or worry? With young children, things can change suddenly, and let's face it, we never know what will happen next!
Thankfully, most UK restaurants are very welcoming towards families with young children, and TV chef and restaurant owner Simon Rimmer commented that he enjoys seeing children in his restaurants because it helps them develop important life skills.[1]
It started with a switch – shining a light on your toddler's ability to 'click'
Being able to control a switch when you are a toddler is quite exciting: on, off, and on again! Your toddler may become completely engaged in this form of exploration, and why not? What an exciting new skill it is for them to achieve. They are taking another step on their road to independence.
It takes a lot of strength, skill and precision to press or flick a switch. Muscles from the shoulders to the fingertips must coordinate with (their) vision to make this action happen.
One-handed wonders – drinking from a cup using one hand only
Have you noticed your toddler trying to reach and grab their cup with one hand? This is a very exciting stage in their development. Moving from using two hands to one when holding a cup will gradually lead to many new independent skills. Let's look at the brilliance of one-handedness and independent feeding...
Using one hand to hold a cup is so fantastic! It is the start of your toddler being able to use both hands to do different tasks.
Emotions are “the glue of relationships” – social psychologist Batja Mesquita’s view
Emotions are often described as universal – suggesting we all have the same emotions. Social psychologist Batja Mesquita studies emotions, and disagrees. She argues that we don’t all experience emotions in the same way and cultural expectations might explain why.
Your toddler is learning about emotions now, as they notice how people respond to other people and events.
You’re having a laugh! How your toddler learns from seeing enjoyment
When your toddler laughs when everyone around them laughs, they are showing a big step towards making friends. They might not understand why people are laughing but they know that it builds relationships!
Learning how to make friends and build relationships with other people is a skill that takes a long time to master. Your toddler learns about making friends as they watch how you interact with other people, and as they notice how you respond to them.
Becoming more confident – find out about the phases of attachment
You might have heard about attachment, maybe in our articles or on social media. Attachment theory was first outlined in the 1960s by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby. Some ideas about attachment have developed since then as more research has been done, but Bowlby’s four phases of attachment are still helpful when you think about how your toddler is developing.
Indiscriminate social responsiveness
Smells and memory – how smells from their newborn days might influence your toddler’s preferences
Does a particular smell immediately conjure up a vivid memory of a person or place? Your toddler is starting to show you that they are noticing smells – but what’s really amazing is that scientists think your toddler remembers smells from when they were a newborn and that these memories might influence what they do.
Two types of long-term memory – implicit and explicit
How daily life supports your toddler’s language development
Have you ever felt the pressure to sit down and teach your toddler some new words? We hope not! If you have, read on to find out why simply chatting with them as you get on with everyday life is great for their language learning (and you don’t need to talk all the time – pauses and time to think are great too).
What are you talking about?
Forty winks? How brain development influences your toddler's nap time
Nap time might be your chance for a precious sit down, or you might be wondering if dropping a nap is the solution to night waking. Just like other aspects of development, the way your toddler’s sleep develops is unique to them – but what processes influence their sleep patterns?
Sleep is developmental and your toddler’s pattern of rest has changed a lot already.
Mark Making – seeing beyond the scribble
If your child goes to nursery or a childminder you might have come across the phrase ‘mark making’. But what does it really mean – isn’t your toddler just scribbling?
Learning to write is complicated – your toddler will need to understand that letters and words can be used to share meaning; they will need to hear the sounds in words and know which ones to use; they need the physical skills to write the letters and the sensory skills to combine information from what they see and feel to adjust their writing as they go.
