An atmosphere of safety and stimulation: The Guide for Parents
The house and its surroundings possess the utmost significance to a toddler. Thus, walking, talking, playing, asking questions, and other things a toddler does to discover the world around him should all happen in a safe and stimulating environment that permits a child to explode towards a rapid development of his physical, mental, and social faculties.
1. Safety Above Everything Else
Such a curious little creature, toddlers will want to put everything to the touch and perhaps taste or swallow it whole. Thus, nothing else assumes more of a prime importance for parents than seeing to home safety.
Elimination of foreseeable dangers
- Look-through the house from view of your kid. Get down to their level and see what items are reachable from theirs.
- Secure any furniture or appliances: Anchor heavy cabinets, TVs, or bookshelves to the wall.
- All gas stove top utensils should have the handles turned back over the stove.
- Lock away anything dangerous: All cleaning agents, medicines, or things sharp must always be placed inside closed cupboards.
- Edges should be covered from sharpness: The hard edges of tables or furniture types must be carefully covered with soft padding.
- Self-accord stairs need a safety gate, windows require guards, and bathrooms demand non-slip mats to prevent a fall.
- Electrical protection: Close off open sockets and make sure loose wires are out of the reach of young children.
- The area for play should be covered in foam mats or soft carpets so that as much as possible of the impact would occur with a fall.
2. Emotional and social safety
Good and warm atmosphere is as important for developing the confidence and behavior of a child just as physical safety is.
- Routine setting: It’s also part of getting the child feeling safe and secure and explained that everything occurs at a particular point of time-sleep time, eating, and everything else.
- Role model: The child learns by watching. The calmer and respectful the parent behaves, the child will model that behavior.
- Encourage: Praise as soon as the child does something right.
- Teach coolness: Instead of scolding, talk calmly to him/her about whatever he/she did wrong.
3. Presenting Opportunities for Play and Learning
Play is one of the child’s most important learning tools. Their play should therefore include gross motor, fine motor, sensory, and creative work.
Gross Motor: Big muscle development
- Push-pull toys
- Kicking and rolling large balls
- Making simple obstacle courses with cushions
Fine Motor: Small muscle development
- Stacking blocks
- Completing simple puzzles
- Stringing large beads on a string
Sensory play
- Trays filled with rice, oats, or sand
- Water play (supervised with bowls and cups)
- Shapes made with play dough
Creative and imaginative play
- Drawing with crayons on large sheets of paper
- Playing with mini drums, bells or shakers
- Pretend play with dolls, doctor kits or toy kitchens
4. Environment Set for Play
Setting up room-wise at the house help children with play and learning.
- Zoning Space: one section of the room/house serves as a vibrant spot for active play, while another area provides calmness for quiet activities like reading and looking through books.
- Storage accessibility: Keeping toy baskets low enough for children to be able to take toys out and put them back promotes independence.
- Rotate the toys: most of the toys should be put away at a time. After a few days, change the toys. This way, the child will play with them with renewed enthusiasm.
- Most importantly: A room, at the child level or one with natural light, brings sunlight into the room-having happy and active children.
5. Learning Opportunities Embedded into Daily Activities
Aside from toys and books, there is another treasure chest of learning opportunities for the child, and that is the daily routine.
- Reading Time: Read for about 15 minutes each day; point to their pictures as you read them.
- Explain the Routine: For example, it can be narrating while doing the laundry, as in ‘now I’m folding a red shirt.’
- Involve Them: Get your child to help either in folding laundry or in setting the table.
- Up for a Little Walk: Walk outside together, and while walking, identify and make comments about the trees, birds, cars, etc.
Conclusion
Encouraging curiosity, confidence, and independence, safe and stimulating environments encompass all, from physical safety to emotional attachment to social development and creative learning.
Every corner of your home is an opportunity for learning. Put a little foresight and a little care on your side to make an environment that is, in fact, naturally safe, happy, and peppy for your toddler.
