Teaching your little one to build self-esteem and confidence is essential, even when they’re just toddlers.
Between the ages of one and two, your child will be growing and developing in many ways; cognitively, emotionally, and physically.
Some of the milestones they will be reaching at this stage of life, according to the HSE, include:
- starting to comfort themselves but still need comfort from you to help manage their feelings
- continuing to enjoy getting praise and attention from you
- starting to test limits and may have temper tantrums, including becoming more difficult to put to bed
- startingt understanding that others might think differently to them
- having more interest in children their own age
- still finding sharing toys with other children difficult
Having a nurturing relationship with your toddler is of the utmost importance as well, for lots of reasons. It shows them how to:
- make friends and express their feelings
- cope with frustrations
- trust others, show kindness to others and develop a sense of right and wrong
What to do
Toddlers like to walk, move around more and explore – this is an exciting time for them. However, they don’t understand danger and may have falls or accidents. An adult should watch them at all times.
According to experts, you can help your toddler build their self esteem and confidence by doing the following:
- Make sure they can see you – toddlers often look back at you as they explore their environment.
- Respond to them – when you respond to your toddler, it shows them that they are important.
- Have a daily routine – routines help your toddler feel safe and in control.
- Show kindness and affection – this builds trust and a sense of security.
- Play with them – toddlers should spend a lot of their time playing.
- Praise their efforts – this builds their confidence and encourages them to try new ideas.
During play, toddlers should try and do things by themselves, with some help from you when needed. This helps your toddler become confident in problem-solving.
Comfort your toddler if they are having trouble coping and teach them to talk to you about their feelings.
For more information, visits the HSE website.
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