Alert Families Help Toddlers

Set Limits Provide Patience and Management

Toddlers between age two to three improve large motor skills like running, kicking, climbing, managing stairs, running and testing limits.  It’s an exhausting time for families  and remains that way until about age five. However, if families know this is natural, set limits, and are very vigilant for safety, this mindset will help develop parental patience and management according to the American Pediatrics Association.

Repeat, Prepare, Redirect

  Families can help by preparing, practicing, repeating positive phrases, and redirecting behavior. “When the big hand is on the one and the timer goes off, it is time to go home and have your favorite--mac and cheese.” 

  Acknowledge positive behavior. “ Great job! Thank you for picking up your toys!”

  Redirect enthusiastically. “Let’s read your favorite book and cuddle with Baby Bear now. You look like you need a break!” 

  Reassure. “I love you, and this is dangerous.  “Hold my hand for safety. I love you. Stop, look, listen and hold my 

Redirect Enthusiastically

hand as we cross the parking lot.”

Small Motor Skills

  This age also makes great strides with brain development small motor skills, too.  They like to dress and undress, turn pages of books, turn doorknobs, unscrew lids, feed themselves, build with small blocks and use figures for creative adventure stories. 

  One Grandma noticed her toddler going up to her TV and trying to swipe to change the picture. The parents decided they had been using technology too much and returned to hard copy books so their daughter could turn pages while reading together. 

  Often the brain is developing even faster than muscles in terms of doing the things they want to do and need a little 

Often Brain Development is Faster than Muscles

help. Toddlers age two to three show greater understanding. They pay attention longer than last year and use colors when talking about objects, if taught.  They are gobbling up information at a rapid rate. Toddlers can help, sort, and put things away. 

  Kindergarten teachers emphasize that it is important for adults to say, “I will help you do this “rather than “let me help you.” “ Me” is being overused as  a subject of sentences like “Me will go to the bathroom “  even in kindergarten. The “Me” habit is as hard to extinguish.  The age old problem of “ Me and Sam want this” instead of “Sam and I want this" (correct form) is also a problem.

  A new concern is second hand smoke and vapor around children. Their brains and lungs are absorbing the TCH and aerosol toxins during a time when their brain’s frontal lobe, the logical problem solving part of the brain, is experiencing its fastest growth until middle school when growth accelerates again. The toxin list is at gaspforair.org. For more toddler activities see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons; live and podcasts.

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

Learning Children’s Milestones

  Children go through many developmental stages as they grow to maturity. 

Support Language

Families can look for these stages and share progress with their doctor at every well-child visit.  Physicians stress that it is never too early to help our children learn at every developmental stage by talking, reading, and singing.
Support Language
  From birth to two months babies make gurgling sounds and turn their heads toward sounds.  Families can respond to babies and reinforce that behavior. When babies smile, gurgle, and coo they are talking to us and it is important to talk back and smile. Physicians encourage families to hold them, cuddle, smile, and read to them in soft friendly voices.
  At four months babies begin to babble with expression and copy sounds they hear.  Talk back to them in their babbling language and with adult language. They may often babble when you read to them like they are reading along.
  By six months babies respond to sounds by making sounds.  They will respond to their own name and start making the “m” and “b” sounds.
  They understand “No” by nine months and make many different syllables like “mamama” and ” bababa.” Families can see language developing and can help by reading, talking and singing at meals, while playing, dressing, riding in the car, preparing for nap time and before bed. Hold them by a window and tell them about their world.
  By 12 months toddlers shake their heads “no” and wave “bye bye.”  They will copy words they hear.
Read, Talk, Sing
Single recognizable words appear about 18 months and they point to what they want. When they point, fill in the words. “Oh, you want the red ball.” Help children turn pages of thick cardboard books and point out pictures while describing them.

Read, Talk, Sing

By two years, children will point to things or pictures when named. They will often say sentences with two to four words and follow one-step simple instructions.
  In the third year, children may follow 2 and 3 step instructions. They can carry on a conversation with two or three sentences.  Non-family members unaccustomed to their speech may understand them.
  By four years old they can tell stories.  They know some basic rules of language grammar as long as adults continue to use correct language around them.
By five years they mostly speak

Stages are Milestones

clearly and can use future tense like “Grandpa will be here soon.”
  If families are ever worried about milestones physicians urge them to discuss this with their physician. Acting early makes a difference.
  For more information check the cdc.gov/Concerned and cdc.gov/ActEarly websites. 
Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Helping Infant Brains Develop

Soothing Speak

What does it mean when your baby cries?  What can we do to raise healthy, happy children? What do we already know about early childhood that will help us make good decisions?
  The interaction between parent and child is the key component in child development.  Each child is a unique individual born with certain inherited traits, and how a parent responds and nurtures the baby will promote healthy development for a lifetime.
  Babies’ cries are their first attempts at communication.  They may be telling families that they are hungry, cold, wet, or lonely.  Parents will learn to interpret these cries and learn what their baby needs. When parents respond in a loving, nurturing way, babies learn to trust that they will be taken care of.  As their physical needs are being met, babies are also developing mentally, socially and emotionally.

Develop Bright Minds

Promote Word Growth

Talking, singing, reading, and playing with infants help to promote language and communication skills.  As your baby grows, repeat some of the babbling sounds you hear like “baba, gaga.”  This will encourage more verbal responses from babies.   
  Move on to simple sentences like “Mama’s here.  Daddy’s coming.”  Talk to your baby as you go through the steps of feeding, bathing, dressing or changing a diaper.      When taking baby out, describe what you see around you.  “See the truck.  See the big white truck. It carries things. It is blowing its horn.  The horn goes toot-toot.”  This will help brain development as your child is creating an image of trucks and what they do.
 

Telling Stories Without a Book

Sing traditional lullabies such as Rock-a-bye Baby.  Or make up your own songs such as “Mama loves her baby Sarah,” filling in the blank with the child’s name.  Create rhymes such as “Baby Girl, Little Pearl, or Baby Boy, Pride and Joy” and put them to music. Your baby will be delighted with the attention and interaction. 

Help Brains Grow
 
Reading with young children is so important to learning and brain development.  A cozy lap to sit

Interact Around the House

on makes learning safe and fun.  Feel free to add comments of your own.  For example, when reading Bill Martin Jr.’s, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” ask what sound a brown bear would make.  Follow through with sounds for the other animals.
 
Make learning playful and fun.  Be sure to turn off the TV. It can be harmful to your child’s development because children need immediate feedback.  The TV cannot tell your child “Yes, that’s a cat.” or “That’s a dog not a cat.”  It cannot give other information about cats and dogs.  It cannot provide the human interaction babies need.

Photos: Making Cookies http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Taste testing_the_cookie_dough_with_Grandm.jpg
Author: Gaijin Biker(Big Ben) Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaijinbiker/144528062
Fran Darling, fdarling fotos 
Sketch:  Mark Nowicki

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Helping to Calm Children

Sometimes both children and adults need a soothing time, a time to calm down from whatever agitates them during the day.

Drawing Time is Soothing

Research indicates drawing Zentangles and Mandalas may enhance this time. Coloring with markers, pencils, and crayons helps set the mood for talking softly, silence, crying a bit, working through problems, and hugs.
  Repetitive movement and making something creative and beautiful engages both sides of the brain.  The creativity comes from selecting colors that go together according to individual’s tastes. The tactical part of the brain plans and decides the design.  Both parts keep the mind from wandering to worries and other stressful emotions.  There are intricate Zentangle and Mandala-type designs in coloring books or you can make your own. Check out Google images and You Tube, too.
Zentangles can Calm
   Picture a piece of paper with a few lines, curves, or shapes that may be made from a thick black marker. Many thinner straight or curved lines surround, fill in, and connect the original shapes until the entire page is filled with lines and white spaces.

Drawing Zentangles and Mandalas

 With young children, start on 4-inch square thick paper that won’t tear easily. It will be easier to cover completely with designs. Show them how to use a black crayon, marker, or pen to make a design or several smaller ones, several numbers, their initials, geometric figures like circles or flower petals scattered around the paper. Then add smaller lines and curves to connect and fill. Zentangle usually stays black and white.
 Mandalas can Soothe
  Mandalas go a little further. Some people start with a circle and make a series of circles around the inside of the circumference.  Then they start another row of smaller circles around the circumference and continue making smaller and smaller circles until they reach the center. Now they fill in the shapes with thinner straight lines, curved lines, concentric circles, or patterns (repeating designs) until the entire page is filled and all of the shapes are connected in some way. The effect is like a Tiffany stained glass rose window. A large square, rectangle or triangle can be divided the same way. Artists often start with thick lines, but there are no rules. Anything can be incorporated into the larger design.
   Besides soothing people, Zentangles and Mandalas help children develop printing skills, eye-hand coordination and a sense of color.

Develop Hand-eye Skills

Most Mandalas have symmetry, balance, and color added to spaces. There are no requirements though and that’s the point.
  For more about Zentangle see information on Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. For Mandala books see Engelbreit’s “Color”, or Marotta’s “Animal Kingdom” for older children and adults.
Photos, Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest