A baby becomes a toddler the moment she begins to walk. Some small children begin walking at 9 months of age, while others don’t start until 18 months! Such a wide variety and so individual! Toddlers are typically independent, active explorers who need lots of love, patience, and a variety of experiences.
Oftentimes the independence of our toddlers reminds of the creed below—but, remember, each child is an individual and may not look like this funny note at all!
If I want it…it’s mine!
If I give it to you and change my mind later…it’s mine!
If I can take it away from you…it’s mine!
If I had it a little while ago…it’s mine!
If it’s mine, it will never belong to anyone else…no matter what!
If we are building something together…all the pieces are mine!
If it looks like mine…it’s mine!
If you really think it belongs to you…it most definitely is MINE!!
-Anonymous
In the blog Finding Child Care for Your Small Child, Part One: Considering Quality, I wrote about balancing an expectation of finding the ideal care with the reality of what’s available, what to expect in quality programs, and barriers to finding quality care. After considering the quality of a program, other things to think about…
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One of the hardest things to do as a parent in the U.S. is finding child care for your small child. If you found your way to this blog post via a search on what to look for when looking for care for your child, then you are in a privileged position. Too many of…
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Diversity. Pluralism. Being who we are and getting along with others. All the work of people living in democratic societies. I was born into and raised in such a society, so I know no other. No matter how many times I flip it and turn it and find all the flaws and jaw-dropping assaults on…
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Please see information on Learning Areas for preschoolers for tips on setting up different spaces for play and exploration in your early learning environment (adapt your toddler environment accordingly from the “learning area” link). Also, check out an introduction to using thematic units and helpful tips here. Farm Block Area: Include toy farm animals such…
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Thematic units are topics (such as transportation, farming, and health) that are interesting to preschoolers and toddlers. If you follow the “topics” link above, you will be led to a number of topic ideas. Notice how they are broad topics that can apply to almost all communities. I say almost because it’s a big planet…
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Death is a part of life that touches us all and is rarely addressed in early childhood education. If you are a teacher who has faced the loss of a student, friend, co-worker, or parent, maybe you understand how personally confronting and awkward it can be to carry on as the leader of your group…
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Two forms of physical development—“gross motor skills” and “fine motor skills”—are essential for early learning. Gross motor skills refer to the development of large muscles and the skills related to them, such as walking and catching a rolling ball. Fine motor skills refer to the development of small muscles and the skills related to them,…
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Art helps toddlers learn about shapes, colors, and lines. It also nurtures his creativity, and brings out his deeper feelings. Give your toddler a chance to explore by providing opportunities to create collages, paint, draw, mold, and print. Painting Toddlers love to paint with their fingers! You can use finder paint, tempura paint, non-toxic shaving…
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Did you know one of the most natural parts of caring and educating young children is assessing them? We think about if they’ve gotten enough sleep, what we should feed them, how they will spend their time with us, how they are behaving, what they are learning, and more of course. When caring for and…
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The four parts of language—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—all rely on one another. Before your toddlers can learn to read and write, they must first learn to listen and speak. Encouraging Your Toddler’s Words Talk with your toddler often. Ask him questions, such as, “What do you think the bark on that tree feels like?”…
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