1. Mealtime Mischief
Feeding time is often likened to a real battle for parents. Not all children calmly sit through mealtimes, obediently eating what’s served or feeding themselves neatly. The reality of mealtimes with toddlers can be much more… chaotic.
At this age, children are eager imitators, wanting to use whatever they see adults using. For example, they may insist on using chopsticks or spoons, resulting in food being spilled everywhere.
A toddler’s mealtime antics (Illustrative image)
Some children also prefer to eat with their hands, refusing to be fed by others. This often leads to squished food being smeared on clothes and hair, a sight that drives many parents crazy.
However, no matter what your child does, it’s important to remain calm and patient. This is a critical stage in their cognitive development. Their desire to use their hands to eat is also a form of imitation. Specifically, they are mimicking the adult action of picking up food with their hands. If allowed to explore, they will quickly develop fine motor skills and learn to perform these actions with greater precision and independence.
2. Chatty Cathy
As children develop language skills, they often become little chatterboxes. They may constantly call out to grandparents, parents, or babble incoherently. They might also bombard you with a stream of “what’s this?” and “what’s that?” questions. During these times, it’s important to patiently respond to their inquiries without losing your cool.
This is a crucial period for language development, and sometimes, they’re simply talking to themselves. Wise parents will refrain from silencing their children, understanding that the more they talk, the more their language skills will improve.
Chatty children can give anyone a headache! (Illustrative image)
Children are inherently curious about the world around them. Just like us, when encountering something new and exciting, they can’t help but want to explore and learn about everything. So, when your child is doing something seemingly odd, they’re likely seeking new sensations and experiences.
As parents, it’s important to allow your children the freedom to discover the world in their unique ways, gathering useful knowledge as they go. Restricting them too much can hinder their creativity and negatively impact their brain development.
3. Toy Tornado
Almost every parent has experienced this phase. The speed at which toddlers throw toys and create mess often outpaces our cleaning efforts, leaving us exasperated and sighing over our freshly mopped floors.
However, this is an essential part of their growth. Their toy-throwing antics aren’t necessarily due to naughtiness but rather a result of their rapidly developing brains.
As their curiosity surges, they want to explore and understand the world faster and in their own unique ways. This might lead to them tossing objects around, or even destroying things, as they embark on their journey of discovery and exploration.
Signs That Your Child Is Developing Bad Habits and How Parents Can Help
As parents, we all hope that our children will be obedient, polite, and develop good character traits. However, in the process of raising children, it is inevitable that children will form some bad habits.
