Reading For 2 Year Old
Well, we might be stating the obvious here but all of us know that reading is extremely beneficial for not only children, but people of all ages. It aids in development and exposes us to different scenarios, topics and ofcourse words, everytime. Now, we’re not saying that your kid should be able to read the entire book by himself by the time she’s two. But, you need to make sure that by the time she reaches this age, she’s at least able to recognize syllables and two word sentences. Even two words at a time, at this age, will go a long way. Best part? It’s not that difficult to get here if you start introducing them to new words everyday and slowly explain what they mean, incorporate the same in conversations and they’ll start picking up sooner than you realize.Recognizing Family And Other Close People
A 2 year old isn’t expected to remember and recognize all the people in the family tree. But, she should be able to recognise and remember people she’s constantly meeting and have often come in close contact with her. If she’s not here, you can help by showing her pictures and recapping the events that took place, names of people, how they’d interacted with her and even how she’s related to them. This exercise, if done at regular intervals, will help boost memory both in particular and in general.Moving, Dancing, Running And Other Such Activities
Toddlers love to move, they’re extremely impatient and cannot sit straight for more than 2 minutes, ofc, I-pad time doesn’t count. Haha! It might sometimes be difficult for you to match their energy and catch up everytime they’re dancing or running around, but it’s a great sign! It means they’re active, happy and are unconsciously working towards honing fine and gross-motor skills!Tidying Up After Themselves
This has to be one of the most important things on this list! You need to start teaching them to clean up after themselves from a very young age. This will help them and everyone around them, wherever they go. It’ll instil a sense of responsibility and reiterate the fact that you won’t always be there to spoon-feed them. Mommies, we know this is tough but it’s for the greater good! Try it out and you’ll realize that it’s also a blessing in disguise! <if you know what we mean>Eating On Their Own
As basic as this sounds, you should start Learning how to teach good eating habits to your kids, and letting your little one eat on her own. It might get messy but she’ll learn the concept of eating right, it’ll help in building a strong grip and she’ll also start to make decisions in terms of what she likes/dislikes and how much she wants to eat. This will make her independent as well as instill a sense of responsibility.Acting Appropriately In Public And Understanding “no"
Kids throw tantrums, more often than not, especially at this age when they’re so cranky and irritable. These are testing times but you will need to make a conscious effort to not encourage this behaviour. While it’s okay to cry and feel irritated but don’t always give in to every cry and teach them that sometimes they can’t get everything that they want. You might want to draw a line and start explaining the concept of “no”, without them getting violent or overly cranky! Try and explain to them the reason behind your decision and distract them to help them calm down faster.Colouring, Drawing, Getting A Good Grip
This may sound basic and even slightly funny, but did you know that scribbling actually is beneficial? Yes, you read that right, it acts as a huge stress-buster for kids, helps hone their creativity, keeps them engaged and also enhances their fine and gross motor skills! So, yes to more scribbles which might come with extra giggles! Haha! Once they’ve got a good grip, you can get them to draw basic shapes, or their favourite toys, fruits, anything and then let them use their imagination to colour the same.Intimating About Their Toilet Runs
Start-off by explaining to them what these mean and why they need to intimate you about it. Go with the narrative of “you’re such a big boy now!” or “no, big babies don’t need to wet their pants, we’re more responsible than that.!” it might take a little while and a lot of patience, but constant reiteration will get you there.Follow And Respond To Simple Instructions
By this age, your little one can understand more than he can convey. If you continue to engage them through different ways like just by telling them what comes next in the day and giving a heads up when an activity is about to get over, it’ll help hone their language skills. By conversing with them throughout the day, you’ll be able to make sure that they’re understanding and following basic instructions too.
Wanting to be independent
Well, toddlers have this urge to do everything on their own, from basics to things that might actually be tough for them to manage. And, while this may get a little annoying, you’ll have to be patient and let them try out new things. Let them do things on their own, even if they’re messing up they’re actually learning.
Now, you can always intervene where need be, but in the long run this “I’ll do it on my own” will help them become more independent, responsible and accountable.
Do keep us posted on where your kid’s currently at! Also, leave us a comment or a message if there’s anything else you need help with and we’ll be more than happy to be “your house teacher”. Haha!