Attachment Parenting
SAHM/teaching LO
Anyone have book suggestions on what to teach toddlers and when? Now that DD is getting older I want to expose her to more.
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Anyone have book suggestions on what to teach toddlers and when? Now that DD is getting older I want to expose her to more.
Re: SAHM/teaching LO
Getting back to it- my diet and exercise blog
Losing it...Without Losing it
IMO, anything and everything they are interested in. At such a young age there is nothing they *need* to learn but every new sight, sound, word, experience will enrich them and teach them. Drawing, painting, coloring, walking, talking are all important, as are learning/observing manners, social cues, patience etc.
For ideas on new and different ways to expose them to things, I love https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/ for general ideas, but am wary of any book/site with set curricula of what young kids need to learn.
One of my favorite aunts was telling me about a "school" that she took her youngest daughter to in Guadalajara when she was a toddler. The school was about sensory stimulation. The LO's were exposed to different smells- fresh baked bread, different foods, citrus smells, flowers, pine, etc... They were exposed to different textures- cloths, tree bark, leaves, wooden spoons, etc. They were allowed to make music by banging on pots with wooden spoons. She said that the toys were in bright colors. They got to feel water splashing on their hands and feet and then feel a towel drying them off. Felt the difference between warm and cold water, etc. I try to do something like this everyday.
I also talk to V all day about what I'm doing, I show her and if it is safe...I let her try. (Let her put a wooden spoon inside a non-breakable mixing bowl while I mix). It is certainly not any kind of curriculum. Would like to hear what other moms do with their LOs!
I'm no expert but I would have thought the important thing was that they are exposed to a range of things. Like pp said any new experience will enrich them.
I would aim for a range:
So a "social" range eg. sport, music, dance, nature, indoor, outdoor, small groups, large groups, different environments: the beach, the bush, libraries, theatre, swimming pools etc etc etc
As well as a range of skills: listening (music, storytelling time), watching (theatre, dance recitals, puppets), fine motor skills (planting seeds, writing, drawing), hand eye co-ordination (throwing and catching balls), creativity (painting, sandcastles), fitness (not in a structured way, but being physically active through walks, swimming, playing on play grounds etc etc etc)
And then of course tailor it to your child's interests. But really at this age they're just little sponges and everything is new and exciting to them.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
(I started typing this 2 hours ago and got interupted, so forgive me if a lot of this has been covered already.)
Read stories and talk about what is in the pictures. Go for walks. Let her get dirty. Play in the mud. Let her crawl around outside and touch anything that is safe. (Obviously keep a close eye on her). Talk to her about what she is touching. What it is, what color it is, etc. Read some more stories. Expose her to all different kinds of music. Let her dance. Give her a water tub to play with using cups etc to explore (or just let her play in the tub). Read to her some more. Personally, I stay away from curriculum for as long as possible and focus more on developing a love of learning through exploration rather than focusing on what they should be learning, if that makes sense.
I came across this a couple of days ago and while it's geared towards preschoolers, I think it can be applied to younger toddlers as well. I think it's so easy to get caught up in making sure that our kids have every advantage and measure up to those around them that we forget what they really need. Or at least I know I do that, even though I really, really don't want too.