| 1. Give your
child a spray bottle of water and
watch them spray every possible
thing outside of the house!
2. Use shaving
cream in the bathtub for extra fun.
It is usually
possible to find cans of shaving
cream that cost only a dollar each.
3. Remember that
Barney dolls, Sesame Street dolls,
and the like are as real to your
child as any other person that they
have met.
Respect their
relationship with their 'cloth'
friends.
4. Buy a small
pet, such as a frog, lizard,
goldfish, bunny, hamster, etc.
Toddlers need
something to love. A pet will add
much more stimulation to your
child's life than any other toy
will.
5. Replace your
child's stroller with the wagon for
outings to the park, the mall, etc.
Wagons can make
both toddlers and their parents very
happy. Wagons are symbolic of you
and your child making it through the
baby stage and entering the world of
"big kids."
6. Teach your
toddler to march to the beat of
"one-two-three-four!" while the two
(or more) of you play your
instruments.
Your child will
never want this marching band game
to end!
7. Make a sandbox
out of a large plastic container for
your child to play in.
If you put the
container outside, covering it will
keep the cats from mis-using your
new toy.
8. Build towers
together with blocks.
Your child will
learn about spatial relationships,
balance, etc.
9. When using
Play-Doh with your child, show them
how to make little snowmen, snakes,
etc,. since it is difficult for
their little fingers to mold clay at
this developmental stage.
10. Set up finger
painting in an empty bathtub with
your child wearing only a diaper.
This can make
finger painting a much less
stressful activity for a parent.
This piece was
written by Dr. Clare Albright,
Psychologist and Parenting Coach,
and author of "100 Tips for Parents
of Two Year Olds", which can be
downloaded for only $5.77 from
http://www.ParentsOfTwoYearOlds.com |