After hours child care

Important Things Your Toddler Needs to Learn Sooner Rather Than Later

16 June 2022 by Channa Van Den Acker

Your toddler is growing and learning every day. There are some skills and concepts that your child should learn soon, to ensure a smooth transition into childhood and beyond.

Here are three things that your toddler needs to learn. 

How to Be Patient

One of the most important things your child can learn is patience. Toddlers are notoriously impatient, and they often want what they want right at that specific moment.

However, learning to be patient will help your child in so many ways. It will teach them how to deal with frustration, how to wait their turn, and how to control their impulses. All of these skills are important for success in school and in life.

At a good child care centre, patience is often taught through waiting games and activities as well as modelling behaviour. For example, children might line up to take turns with a toy. Or, they might have to wait their turn to speak during group time. This way, children learn how to be patient and how to cope with frustration.

Kids also learn that it's possible to control their impulses and to wait calmly for what they want. This modelling can go a long way in helping children learn patience.

How to Follow Instructions

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it's actually quite important as your child grows up. Following instructions requires listening skills, attention, and focus. It also requires the ability to understand and remember what was said. All of these are important skills for school and life in general.

Child care centres can help children learn how to follow instructions in different ways. For example, during group time, children might be asked to sit down and listen to a story. They might be asked to sit in a row and raise their hand to speak.

They might also be asked to do simple activities, such as clapping their hands or standing up when asked. These activities help children learn how to follow instructions, and they also give them a chance to practise their listening skills.

Children also learn how to pay attention and remember what they've heard. This helps them develop the skills they need to follow instructions as young children and in other stages of their life.

How to Share

Sharing is an important social skill that your child will need to learn. It's also a skill that can be difficult for toddlers to master. After all, they are just learning to understand that other people have feelings and needs.

At child care centres, sharing is often taught through modelling and opportunities to practise. For example, carers might model sharing by taking turns with a child during playtime. Children might also be given opportunities to share toys with other children. This helps them learn how to take turns and to share with others.

Remember that sharing is a skill that develops over time. Toddlers might not always want to share, and that's okay. They are still learning, and they will get better with practice.

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