Mum-tested tips and tricks to help your toddler learn at home
Learning begins at home. So mums, arm yourselves with the right tips and tricks to help develop your toddler's brain and body to the fullest.
As parents, we worry about children’s development and learning ability as they grow. Creative expression plays a central role in toddlers' learning and development. Letting children express themselves creatively gives them another "language" with which they can express their thoughts, feelings and ideas. To be honest I don't have time with my kids round the clock but when I do we try to come up with some activities, even the simplest ones, be it play or create.
Here are some simple ideas:
1. Aspire to Be an Architect
Help your toddler discover a talent for architectural design! Visit your favourite playground or play area, and evaluate what your lil' one loves most about it.
What equipment does she enjoy the most? Can she come up with a new type of slide? Or what could make the playground more interesting/fun?
Use these visits and conversations to inspire your toddler to design an original mini home playground or swing set. Start with drawing paper and have your toddler illustrate diagrams and plans with specific placement of each piece of equipment.
You may also help to draft as your toddler describes what she imagines. Then create a visual representation using cardboard, straws, toilet paper, and paper towel rolls.
2. Ace Shapes and Colours
Your toddler’s brain is quickly forming new connections which allows for more complicated mental processing and motor functions. The more you stimulate these connections, the stronger they become.
Every action, thought and expression from your toddler involves a specific set connections and is strengthened via repeated usage. With every new skill your toddler masters, the connections in the brain gets stronger, laying a foundation to be built on.
Puzzle play helps to develop small muscle movements and dexterity in their hands and fingers. While developing fine motor skills, playing with puzzles requires children to learn to make their eyes and hands work together to find the right piece.
3. Form a Family Book Club
It is always a good habit to have some book-time everyday. Choose age-appropriate books and ask questions for discussion about the characters, plots, themes, and settings. This makes book time a little more interesting for your toddler with simple brainstorming time, and also stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word.
Besides keeping my kids busy with creative activities, it has also been a priority for us as parents to fulfill my child's nutrition intake.
By now my girls are eating many of the same foods as the rest of the family, and Fayth is still on her favourite formula milk. As a grown toddler, Fayth is also continuing to develop her own food preferences.
Here's a brief look on how we continue to make sure she gets the nourishment she needs to fuel her growth and development.
Remembering that these are prime habit-forming years
We try our best to introduce and stick to healthful habits even though it's not easy, we believe that our efforts are well worth it.
Variety is smart
Keeping meals interesting and ensure that our girls are getting the full range of nutrients they need, from each of the basic food groups every day and expose them to a wide range of flavours. Remember to keep everything in moderation.
You are a role model at the dinner table
I am probably the biggest role model at home because I always eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a variety of healthful foods in general. Hoping that one day they'll be much more likely to eat that way, too.
Make desserts a treat, not an everyday indulgence
Choose snacks and treats that are healthy, or low in sugar and salt. And avoid excessively sweet, processed foods with refined sugar.
DHA, you never outgrow the need for it
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) is one of the good fats found in the body. Its job is to go straight to tissues, like those in the brain, and keep them functioning to the best of their ability. Fayth has been drinking Enfamil A+ Stage 2 and now that she's three years old, she is move on to Enfagrow A+ Stage 4. Enfagrow A+ Stage 4 is scientifically formulated with 360° DHA PLUS, which is a unique blend of nutrients that are important for overall mental and physical development, which I guess is what all of us parent wants for our child.
Frankly speaking how we chanced upon Enfamil A+ Stage 2 was purely out of luck. When she wouldn't stop crying no matter how hard I tried to feed her for an hour straight before bedtime. I decided to supplement her with formula just to fill her up a little, and at the brand was Enfamil A+ Stage 2.
We never once thought to change her formula because everything was going smoothly for her, and us. She didn't suffer from any constipation nor "heatiness" which I heard some brands may cause such symptoms. I only knew last year after doing some research when I had my second child, that Enfamil A+ Stage 2 has the highest amount of AA+DHA, and corresponds to the lowest price per AA+DHA.
Everyone has different parenting styles and beliefs, but I think ultimately health is wealth!
That's all for today and I hope you liked my little sharing session. Do feel free to leave comments below. If you have any questions regarding the topic, I'll try my best to answer them. Stay tuned for more reviews, bye!