In some ways, being a toddler is a challenging stage of life. They are experiencing change daily in almost every facet of their young lives: physically their bodies are growing at a great pace and their minds are keeping up with that pace; emotionally they are beginning to experience many things that they don’t always have the capacity to express or even understand; and socially they are on a steep learning curve to fit into family and other groups’ expectations. They operate in the present and are still learning the idea of waiting for something. They often only have their bodies as a way of expressing what is happening for them.
In some ways toddlers can teach us so much about how to live rather than the other way around:
· Every day presents new opportunities for a toddler. They often look to what the day has to offer with positive excitement and fascination.
· Their inquiring minds are open to learning everything they can and that is a very desirable skill to have. A word they learn quickly is “Why?” and use it over and over. They sense that everything has a story and are not easily fobbed off by quick answers.
· They are often open and accepting of people around and are interested in them.
· For a toddler the sky is the limit. They often have great confidence in what they can achieve and a clear expectation of how to achieve it. They don’t carry the fears and hang ups we often acquire.
· When asked, toddlers often do things ‘Just because’. They have a freedom to enjoy doing something – or not, and then move on to something else and become engrossed in that just as quickly.
· Toddlers have a seemingly limitless imagination. A stick can become many things or a line drawn on a page an amazing robot with magic capabilities.
· Toddlers often don’t care what other people think. Miss-matched clothing can work for them!
At Angel’s Paradise, we seek to develop children’s imagination and creativity through a stimulating and fun environment.