Good question.....why do kids instinctively reach out and grab toys (even when the room is full of other toys)? This question will be asked over and over by parents & childcare providers. Here are some answers and ideas to this burning question.
Learning to socialize and communicate begins the moment the child is born. Whether at home or in a daycare setting, kids will be interacting with other children. It is important to find opportunities to teach our children how to interact and socialize in a variety of settings. We will take a look why a child acts this way and what the adults role is in the situation.
Parents, childcare providers and teacher all join together to show our children social skills and discipline. Teaching the children how to play, listen, focus, share and much more should be on the priority list. But, being a parent means taking on many roles and sets the foundation for your child's learning and behavior.
Sharing is a learned task, learning to not take a toy from another can be a difficult learned task. Please remember that children are different and they respond different in each situation. Reaching out for a toy is natural, wanting to touch a toy is natural, curiosity is what the child is experiencing. This is an exciting time for our little ones to explore and learn everything they can. But, there must be limitations.
When a child instinctively reaches for a toy that another child has, this is the perfect "teaching" moment for the parent. Please remember that your reaction and tone of voice to this incident is very important. Be ready for these teaching moments, they will happen a lot. Take the time to show the child that he can not take the toy that his friend has. Use small and simple words to explain to your child that he can not take away the toy. No child is too young to start learning. Please remember, never "baby talk" to your child. They need to hear correct grammar in order to start learning to speak.
Children at the age of 12 months to around 18 months do not understand that they can not grab a toy away from their friends. They learn not to do this by gentle corrections and diversions. Using the diversion method means getting another toy, let him hold it, show him how to play with that toy. This will change the attention from the original child'd toy to something new and exciting. Also, moving the child away from the other child and redirecting their attention is a method that works for some children. Find which method works best for your child and stick with it. Remember consistency is very important when teaching children.
A child's attention span varies with each child. One child might completely forget that he was trying to take a toy away, while another child might go right back to the child and try to take the toy away again. I have seen both of these types of children in my daycare. Consistency is the most important tool when teaching any child, so keep a close eye on your child when they are playing with other children. Do not assume that your child knows how to play and interact with other children.
Have open communication with your child's childcare provider or teacher. Be sure to ask specific questions about how they are getting along with the other children; are they sharing, are they socializing well, are they contributing to a group activity. Any issues can easily be resolved with communication and working together.
No comments:
Post a Comment