The first few words out of our children’s mouths, such as mama and dada, are like little warm drops of sunshine on our spirits. But do you have the same feeling about the word, “no”?
\nPlaying with your baby may not seem like much more than a fun fest, when, say, they coo at their rattle or try their hands at stacking ‘donuts.’ But make no mistake. What looks like downtime to us is work to little ones – and toys are the tools for getting the job done.
\nYoung children get quickly distracted by a toy or fun activity and simply forget. They can appear to be listening when in fact they are not paying attention at all. Not listening or tuning the parent or teacher out can become a habit. A big part of getting your child to listen is learning how to give simple, clear instructions.
\n\n
Believe it or not, nudging our children toward greater independence yields huge benefits for them - and for us!
\nPage 44 of 50
Calgary’s Child Magazine © 2025 Calgary’s Child
