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Toddler Ideas -, how much attention is healthy?
March 05, 2011

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Parenting Tips For Toddlers On Attention


Toddler Ideas is the insightful ezine delivered to your inbox monthly from clever-toddler-activities.com

March 2011 Issue 17

Featuring:

  1. Opening Thoughts – What Not To Do When Toddlers Act Cute?
    2.
  2. Q&A with Claire - What’s a Healthy Amount of Attention to Give a Toddler?
    3.
  3. Featured Page – What Does Your Toddler Love To Cook?
    4.

Opening Thoughts

What Not To Do When Toddlers Act Cute?

Aren’t toddlers often doing the cutest things that makes us chuckle, if not laugh out loud?! I've found that sometimes toddlers mean to be funny and love the participation or occasionally they don't display a reaction. However when I laugh at a tot's cuteness they usually seem embarrassed, annoyed or even really angry.

Well, we don't like being laughed at for trying our best, making a mistake or hurting ourselves, do we? As Dr Seuss rightly states "A person is a person, no matter how small".

I recently heard that a baby who liked to sing once hummed (at perfect pitch) to the radio along with the adults in the car. In surprise the adults burst out laughing. That boy never sang again and now he's ten years old.

At the moment I'm on a mission to only laugh with little ones rather than at them. It's proving tricky sometimes but I think it's worth the effort. It’s important because what babies and young children conclude about how we react affects them greatly the rest of their lives.

This issue of Toddler Ideas shares some tips on ways to strengthen your relationship with your toddler. I hope you find this issue useful.

Wise Words

What’s a Healthy Amount of Attention to Give a Toddler?

Parents of five, Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D., a psychotherapist, and William J. Pieper, M.D., a child psychiatristist and attending physican, have successfully counseled thousands of children and parents over the course of many years. They have created and tested effective guidelines that helps parents cultivate your child's inner happiness, which is the best means of ensuring your child will grow up well behaved, responsible, self-confident, and able to reach his or her fullest potential. The following quotes have been taken from one of their books, The Smart Love Parent.

Starting sometime around your child's first birthday ...your child's involvement with you will begin to deepen significantly. Increasingly, he makes clear that he cannot get enough of you. ...This passionate wish for direct involvement with you is actually a sign of his maturity. Your child now recognizes the superiority of the happiness he feels when you are caring for him (talking to him, reading him a story, responding his requests).

...When you respond promptly and affectionately to your child's wishes for your focused attention, your child will see that he has the power to make himself truly happy. ...If you are not aware that your child's seemingly insatiable appetite for your focused attention is both appropriate for his age and temporary, you may worry that you have created a clingy and dependent child who will never be able to play or learn by himself.

...The reality is that your child's intense desires for focused parenting will be temporary if you are consistently able to respond positively to him.

...Clearly; there are occasions when you will be unable to put aside your personal needs and desires. ... At these times, try to convey to your child both your desire to give him your undivided attention as soon as possible, and also your understanding of and pleasure at your child's wishes for closeness and involvement. For instance, you could say, "I would love to read you a story - that's a great idea. I just have to finish this one thing and I'll be right with you."

Featured Page

What Does Your Toddler Love To Cook?

Toddler cooking is both a perfect activity to do together for fun and as a means for everyone to be happy during meal preparation time. Here are some simple, healthy kid recipes and tips on how toddlers can have fun helping us on our improved Cooking Page. As long as your toddler’s in the mood to cook and is allowed to go at his own speed, these activities create quality bonding time as well as yummy food that he can be proud of!

What Do You Think?

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I would be happy to answer any questions you have about toddlers. I'd also love to read a cute/funny story about young children, a parenting tip, a great toddler activity or a comment you have about Toddler Ideas at our Contact Form.


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