Blogging Parents » Toddler Entertainment

Toddlers and Pets: Lessons Learned

Jacaranda — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 07:17:14 +0000

My brother and I had a small chit chat about kids’ pets and how having one can have a great impact on a child’s leadrship and social skills. True enough, I read this article about ‘Kids and Pets’

Pets are an important part of childhood. Everybody has a childhood memory involving a pet. If you’re considering getting a pet, be prepared for additional expenses and headaches over who cares for the pet. However, children benefit significantly from caring for animals. It teaches them to be kind, patient and gentle and those traits will carry over to how they treat other people. Developing positive feelings about pets can contribute to a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Positive relationships with pets can aid in the development of trusting relationships with others.

A happy relationship with a pet can also help in developing non-verbal communication, compassion, and empathy. There are physical benefits such as added exercise (walking the dog!) and the comfort of a soft and furry touch. Children often talk to their pets, so they’re good for releasing private thoughts and secrets without judgment. They reduce anxiety. Through birth and death, they teach children about life.

All kinds of animals can be fun for children, but it is important to choose a pet that is right for your family, your home, and your lifestyle; and one that your child can help care for. Avoid bringing aggressive animals into your home or exotic animals as they are usually harder to care for.

Taking care of a pet can help children develop social skills. However, parents should be aware of the following:

* Since very young children (under the age of 3-4 years) do not have the maturity to control their aggressive and angry impulses, they should be monitored with pets at all times.
* Young children (under 10 years) are unable to care for a large animal, a cat or a dog, on their own.
* Parents must oversee the pet’s care even if they believe their child is old enough to care for a pet.
* If children become lax in caring for a pet, parents may have to take over the responsibility on their own.
* Children should be reminded in a gentle, not scolding way, that animals, like people, need food, water and exercise.
* If a child continues to neglect a pet, a new home may have to be found for the animal.
* Parents serve as role models. Children learn responsible pet ownership by observing their parents’ behavior.

Pets can add to the joy of a family and bring many new experiences for children. They take a lot of work but also bring a lot of love and wonderful memories.

Early Learning Toys

Jacaranda — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:02:19 +0000

What perfect timing to post something about early learning toys when you’re sons is turning 4 and 2 years old respectively.

Toys, educational and entertainment purposes address toddlers’ special developmental needs. There are tons of fun and functional Early Learning Toys for young ones! With great toys that help build and refine essential skills, the Early Learning Toys teach a myriad of lessons that are the important building blocks of development.

Early learning toys are designed to stimulate, educate and inspire children’s creativity.

Here are some lists and suggestions of educational and learning toys for young children and toddlers.

Alphabet Learning Toys
Building Toys
Dressing Toys
Lacing Toys
Preschool Educational Activities
Preschool Learning Activities
Preschool Math Toys
Preschool Science Toys
School Supplies for Kids
Sorting Toys

Preschool Toys – Useful tool for Preschool Activities

Jacaranda — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:09:12 +0000

Child development toys are wonderful means of attracting children to the world of learning. Toys designed especially for preschool toddlers emphasize on memory skills, patterns, and matching activities. Creative skills and artistic abilities of preschool kids are also enhanced by some of these toys. Moreover, preschool toys can be designed to cater to a kid’s imagination and interest in a specific field.

Preschool toys help toddlers get acquainted with colors, numbers, and letters. They also enhance the interactive skills in children, improve their eye-hand coordination, as well as encourage muscle and finger movements. The right kind of preschool toys encourage children to engage in basic activities like reading and writing. Playing with preschool toys can also enhance a child’s ability to communicate with the rest of his/ her play group members.

Importance of preschool toys:

Preschool toys act as important accessories in the toddler’s world of imagination. They help children imagine all kinds of situations and act it out in their mind’s eye.
When children play with preschool toys, they learn the basic motor skills. Play also helps improve their visual and auditory senses.
Toddlers acquire the ability to solve problems while playing with toys.
Preschool toys have the ability to improve the memory and increase concentration levels in children.
Playing with toys makes a child more acutely aware of his/ her surroundings.
Preschool toys focus on improving the child’s innate cognitive abilities.

Preschool age is the time when children start interacting with their surroundings and gain valuable knowledge in the process. The stage is marked by a dominant urge to explore and learn. Preschool toys are vital tools in inculcating this sense of exploration and learning. These educational toys aim at developing essential social and personal skills that eventually help in the overall development of children.

(Source:- www.educationaltechnologies.com)

Kids Past Time – Playdoh Playhouse Pop Up Books

Jacaranda — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:34:39 +0000

There are many different ways that a child can entertain themselves. Children normally has a very imaginative mind. They can spend hours and hours playing with their favorite toy, or drawing or writing.

Other activity that many toddlers love are singing, dancing, watching Barney and Friends, Sesame Street or playing Dora the Explorer Games! (There’s an Online Dora Games too)

Yesterday while I was at the Mall, I bought some other toys for my two little boys. Bought a pack of PlayDoh and two pop up books (David and Golliath, Noah’s Ark). Also during the drive to the office, there’s this vendor who sells a ‘house brick’ (sorry don’t know the name, but check out the photo above).

Oh yeah, bought Pixar/Walt Disney’ Cars too!