By Luisa Gerasimo
Read, talk, and sing to your baby or toddler today! Do NOT delay!
Did you know that from birth to 3 years old there is a magic window in time for almost every foundational skill a growing child will need? It is also an incredibly important time for babies to develop a secure attachment to the adults who care for them. This attachment is not something you can fix later, as far as we know. So, it is key to get to know your baby and meet their changing needs as best as you can when they are tiny!
Today, parents are super stressed according to the recent report: Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents. Click here to read the report.
As your local Family Educator, I don’t want to add to that stress. Here are some suggestions for interacting with your young child:
-
Narrate what you are doing in real time – sounds odd but it helps children make meaning out of a complicated world and builds great vocabulary.
-
Read to them – every single day. Even a short bedtime or bathtime story can create a calming fun routine. Children thrive on routines – it makes them feel less anxious and calmer.
-
Eat together and encourage family conversations. Dinner at home has been shown in numerous studies to build vocab, eye-hand coordination, manners and better physical and emotional health for all involved.
-
Take a walk and sing silly songs together. Movement and song are both beneficial to young children and to over-worked adults as well.
-
Ask your child what they see in picture books or ask what might happen next? This kind of interactive reading gets children pulled into the story and makes reading much more fun.
-
Want to be a super parent (without breaking a sweat)? Base your family time on love, respect and limits. Treat toddlers like they are part of the team – they can help dust baseboard with a damp cloth, or rinse dishes or set the table. Ask them for their opinion in places where you can honor their wishes.
-
Want more? Click here to check out the youngest and probably cutest TED Talk speaker Molly Wright, age 7, on How Every Child Can Thrive by Five.
For an additional list of parenting classes and resources, contact:
Luisa Gerasimo, Dunn County Extension Family Educator
715-231-6690 [email protected] https://parenting.extension.wisc.edu/