Early Lessons for Babies and Toddlers
 You don’t have to wait until your child is ready for school to start teaching basic lessons that will serve to stimulate their minds. You can actually start with the lessons while he or she is still a very small toddler - or even while still a baby! There are many lessons that you can teach your child while still a baby. All it takes is a little imagination and patience.
You can help your child develop an interest in many things around them by supplying them with as many sensory stimuli as possible. If your baby seems fascinated with the flowers in your yard, let her see, smell and touch the flowers she sees. She can even hear the sound the flower makes as it brushes past her ear. This sort of learning stays with the baby much longer and is more interesting because of the many senses that are involved.
When a baby looks at her toes, you can reinforce what it is she’s looking at by telling her “these are your toes”. By listening to you say the words and by feeling you touch her toes, she soon learns that that’s what are called “toes”. It’s much easier for a baby to learn what words mean when all the senses are involved. This also makes it much easier to recall what is meant when she hears the word. You say “toes” and the baby will look at her feet. Lesson learned. These types of exercises can also have a positive effect on IQ tests later on in life.
Help your baby to categorize her world. By grouping some of her toys that have the same basic color, you can help the child visualize what’s meant by a certain color. It’s very important that your baby find the lessons enjoyable as this makes the lessons stand out in their developing memory. Being able to match specific items to the colors they’ve been shown can help them learn much faster and retain the lessons longer when they get to school.
Even if you don’t like listening to classical music, if you want your child to have a better chance at learning lessons, play some classical music for them on a regular basis. Studies have shown that young children who listened to classical music constantly outperformed other children who had not listened to the music.
Some parents find that by making short videos for their baby featuring themselves and other members of the family, the baby is able to actively recognize the faces of people in their daily lives. By speaking to your baby in the video, the child learns to listen and become more active in the lessons being taught. Short and simple exercises can be taught to your child in this way such as color matching and categorizing of elements in the baby’s life. You can even begin to play classical music in the background of the video to allow the child to get used to the sound of the music.
Gimmie It’s Mine! 
Toddlers are very territorial. They are just becoming aware of themselves and of the fact that some items are their own. While this is an educational time for them as well, it can also be very stressful when the toddler decides that their sibling's toys or mommy's purse is 'theirs'.
Sharing can be hard for a small child who is going through this period of growth. You can ease this by making boundaries clear. Let your toddler know that some things are not to be touched or that some things have to be shared. If possible, use a timer for playtime with certain toys, then have your child exchange toys with their sibling or if there are no siblings, with you. This teaches your child that sharing is expected and eases transition when it is time to share later on, during playgroups or in school.
Toddlers may also begin to take toys or gifts without thanking the person or their friends. You can begin teaching your child to use manners as young as one year if you make a game of it. Try sitting with your child and passing a favorite toy back and forth. Each time your toddler hands you the toy, say "Thank you!" in an excited and fun voice. If your baby can talk or mimics the sound of your voice when you give them the toy, say "You're welcome!". Soon your baby will know to say this each time they are given something.
If you want a polite and sharing child, remember to treat that child with the same respect you wish to receive. Using proper manners in the presence of your child sets a wonderful example. Children learn by watching and listening to their parents. All toddlers mock the actions of their parents, so it is imperative to act the way you wish your child to act. Too many parents forget their children are people, not just children. Ingraining love and respect into your child will be the governing factor in how your child’s behavior will be.
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From Baby to Toddlerhood - Making the Transition Smooth!
You wake up one day and they are little men or women. They can feed themselves, dress themselves and put on their own shoes without any help. Who could this be? Your toddler. One day they wake up and decide that they can do anything. Every task during the day becomes a struggle as they fight with you over what they can do. How do you handle this stage in your toddler’s life? It’s easy once you learn to accept your Toddler’s independence. During this stage in a toddler’s life, they may not want to share anything or help with anything because they are focused on themselves and what they can do independently. They want nothing to do with helping. Toddlers need to experience this stage for several reasons; it makes them aware of things that they can do for themselves instead of yelling “mom” or “dad” to help them, it teaches them to be more aware of how they can help others.
To make this stage in your toddler’s life productive you need to
- Give your Toddler choices. Instead of giving him or her one option, offer two so that they can decide what they want to do. For example, they want to pick out their own clothes, make a basket with their outfits for the week. Everything in that basket is safe for them to wear. So they can go into that basket everyday and pick out their own outfit to wear.
- During a meal, you can give them the option to pass the food to their left or to their right. You can also give them the option of foods that they can eat. Being able to select their own meal will encourage them to eat more.
- Ask your toddler for help with something. You may have them help you straighten the living room or play room but you also need to have them help you make a decision. Going over your decisions, like what to have for dinner or what outfit you should wear tomorrow will also allow them to help others. They will get a positive feeling when they help others.
- Add something more grown up in their room, like a picture or a different bed spread that will allow them to feel more grown up. Making changes like that over time will be easier than doing it all at once.
Helping your toddler through this stage in their lives will give them a positive experience and can decrease tantrums and other behavioral outbursts because they are learning how to make sound decisions with a positive result.
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Early Lessons for Babies and Toddlers
You don’t have to wait until your child is ready for school to start teaching basic lessons that will serve to stimulate their minds. You can actually start with the lessons while he or she is still a very small toddler - or even while still a baby! There are many lessons that you can teach your child while still a baby. All it takes is a little imagination and patience.
You can help your child develop an interest in many things around them by supplying them with as many sensory stimuli as possible. If your baby seems fascinated with the flowers in your yard, let her see, smell and touch the flowers she sees. She can even hear the sound the flower makes as it brushes past her ear. This sort of learning stays with the baby much longer and is more interesting because of the many senses that are involved.
When a baby looks at her toes, you can reinforce what it is she’s looking at by telling her “these are your toes”. By listening to you say the words and by feeling you touch her toes, she soon learns that that’s what are called “toes”. It’s much easier for a baby to learn what words mean when all the senses are involved. This also makes it much easier to recall what is meant when she hears the word. You say “toes” and the baby will look at her feet. Lesson learned. These types of exercises can also have a positive effect on IQ tests later on in life.
Help your baby to categorize her world. By grouping some of her toys that have the same basic color, you can help the child visualize what’s meant by a certain color. It’s very important that your baby find the lessons enjoyable as this makes the lessons stand out in their developing memory. Being able to match specific items to the colors they’ve been shown can help them learn much faster and retain the lessons longer when they get to school.
Even if you don’t like listening to classical music, if you want your child to have a better chance at learning lessons, play some classical music for them on a regular basis. Studies have shown that young children who listened to classical music constantly outperformed other children who had not listened to the music.
Some parents find that by making short videos for their baby featuring themselves and other members of the family, the baby is able to actively recognize the faces of people in their daily lives. By speaking to your baby in the video, the child learns to listen and become more active in the lessons being taught. Short and simple exercises can be taught to your child in this way such as color matching and categorizing of elements in the baby’s life. You can even begin to play classical music in the background of the video to allow the child to get used to the sound of the music.
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Working Moms -- Enjoy Days off with your Toddler
If you work outside of the home, you may appreciate the days off from work. You may have thoughts of spending the day in your pajama's and sleeping in as late as you want, only to realize that your young ones are standing at your bedside watching you until you wake up because they are hungry and board already. Plans to relax are not always out of the question you just need to change your plans a little. Your days off can be enjoyable when you plan the day with your toddler.
At the ages of two to four, you are probably unaware of how often your child watches you do everyday things. This is a very impressionable age and they may become your little shadow at home. That is why it is important to include them in your relaxing day of leisure. Kids need to know how to unwind and relax as well. Stress does not affect kids as it does adults but you can help them learn early how to relax. Start a routine on your days off that only you and your child does in order to spend quality time together. They may not know the importance of relaxing but they will know the importance as they get older and will remember it.
Some fun things to do to relax with your Toddler
There are several things that you can do with your Toddler to relax. Remember to do a combination of things that would appeal to them. You will want to also incorporate some play time in there as well, which would be fun for both you and them. For example, finger-painting is very relaxing as you and your Toddler decides to paint a masterpiece using your fingers. Warning: May cause laughter.
Soak your feet with bubble bath. You may think that you need a full tub of water to use bubble bath but that is not true. You can add a drop or two of bubble bath to your foot soak to give your Toddler something to play with and enjoy while you relax your feet in the water.
Make that day 'Pajama Day' for you and your Toddler. You can spend the day dressed up in your favorite pajamas. Add the fluffy bedroom shoes to your wardrobe and you have one fun filled day of being relaxed and enjoying your day with your child.
Fix a dinner that is made for a Toddler. Let them help you do everything to get it ready. Preparing food together will also help your child learn how to be safe while in the kitchen. It may be spaghetti and meatballs or hotdogs but you will have fun making them together.
Make a memory book just for those days that you are off and you can spend it with your family. You and your child can write or draw something special in the book that will keep for years and you can look back on it and smile.
Spending time at home means spending time with your kids. Making it a fun day will ensure that you will go back to work feeling good about time well spent and feeling refreshed and ready to start your day.
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