6 Tips to help you relate to your toddler

Read these six top tips from Susanne Hugo, Mysmartkid’s occupational therapist that will help you understand and relate to your toddler a little better!

1. Expect Frustration

It’s not uncommon for your child to sometimes get frustrated when doing an activity. One reason for this is that, while they know what they want to do, they may not always know how to do it. So always try to guide your child gently and remember to only guide them, not do it for them.

2. Concentration

Good news: Your little one should now be able to concentrate on an activity for at least 15 minutes and keep themselves occupied for around an hour. Just keep this in mind when choosing activities for them and let them play without disturbance.

3. Role play

Role playing also becomes much more fun at this age, and it’s something you can do when trying to teach your child a new skill. Or you can use it when you need to encourage them to do something they don’t necessary want to do, like bathing. Try getting your little tot to role play in the bath by imagining they are a fish or a shark.

4. Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts get really fun! So start collecting all those old loo rolls, scrap paper and cotton wool and give them to your child to play with. You’ll love seeing what they can create – and it’ll keep them busy for ages too.

5. Rules of the game

Now is definitely the right time to start teaching your child about rules and authority. At this age they perceive it as something very important, so you can also try playing more ‘rule-based’ games.

​6. Keep it simple

Keep in mind that your child won’t be able to follow simultaneous, or too complex, instructions at this stage. So rather choose simpler tasks and activities that don’t need too much explaining.

Visit www.mysmartkid.com or www.myslimkind.com, or call 0861 555 224 for more information.

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