Development
12-18 Mths: Hello World!
Your toddler's new physical ability to explore is combined with great
mental curiosity. He wants to see, touch, taste and smell everything.
He
has no understanding of past or future. If he wants something, he wants
it now! He
doesn't understand yesterday or tomorrow. His head is totally in the present.
Try
to be patient with your toddler when he demands everything now!
'Soon' or 'later' are difficult, abstract ideas for him.
Show
him a picture of a cat and he might understand. You can't point to the
clock and expect him to grasp the idea of 'in half an hour's time'.
Mother's
little helper
His
world of the present is also very much a world of reality. He is fascinated
by everything around him and loves to experiment with it - let him play
with water or sand. He also loves putting things in containers and emptying
them. Make the most of this! Ask him to help you when you tidy his toys
away in boxes. He can point at things that interest him and can 'find'
things that are out of sight.
He has no concept of safety or danger
With no
comprehension of danger, your toddler can't understand why you want him
to avoid certain actions. He doesn't know why he can't touch the fireplace
- it looks so much fun! - or the bottle of tablets that look like sweets.
Put away anything that could be dangerous and remember that soon he will
be able to reach up and climb, so keep things well out of reach before
that happens.
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