I watched this child suddenly becoming quiet, when his parents were engaged in talking to their friends.This is most natural for children in the toddler period. They can be anxious if they are not explained what is happening. Their ability to interpret the world around them is only evolving.
One important aspect of building confidence and coping skills in toddler stage of a child is to introduce to them what is about to happen or explain what is happening. Whether we take them to a shopping mall, restaurant, friend’s house, public place, park, etc. it is important for them to have an overview of what is likely to happen. Their skills to instantaneously adjust to an unexpected situation are limited at this stage. But if they are told in some details, they draw from memory and previous experiences what to anticipate and become more ready to cope. They would ask questions to clarify which need appropriate responses to help them to process the information.
What puts the child into a state of anxiety or stress is sudden and abrupt changes. Just as we get ready with packing our bags for a travel, let us remember that we need to prepare and equip toddlers for every change or movement from the home setting. Sometimes it is even wise to show pictures or photos of the places that parents plan to visit or people they are likely to meet, etc. so that children are better informed. Children between one and three years are most consenting, when they are fore-informed.
M.C.Mathew( text and photo)
I've noticed this too! Often parents tend to forget that their little ones are still exploring the world around them.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to more parenting tips on this blog!