"Feed the baby"= learning to pretend

Mom is helping her little girl learn to play "pretend".  It is important for kids to learn to do this kind of play.  Parents help by coaching their kids to act out everyday activities with their toys.  It can be feeding the baby, driving the truck to Grandma's, or whatever is going on in your daily life.
 

Toddler water play

Playing in the water makes summer fun for toddlers.  This little guy is at the age where he could spend the whole time happily playing in this one fountain, then have a big tantrum when it is time to go because he didn't get to do  the other stuff.

Toddler water play

Playing in the water makes summer fun for toddlers.  This little guy is at the age where he could spend the whole time happily playing in this one fountain, then have a big tantrum when it is time to go because he didn't get to the other stuff.  It is a tough age. You can feel like a bad parent when you have carry a screaming kid to the car.

Shots are no fun

Shots are no fun, but this Mom is helping her little guy by staying calm, holding him gently and letting him know that she cares.  Getting shots hurts, but not for very long.  If parents can stay calm and relaxed, it helps the little ones do better.

Like father, like son?

This little guy is showing some amazing balance and skill on a skateboard.  Bet Dad is both a good skateboarder and a good teacher.  If the kid is interested and you can make learning a step-by step game, getting kids started in sports or activities that you like is good for everybody.

Happy- Mad Copycat

This little guy has the facial expressions down.  As little as he is, he seems to understand both the words and the face to make.  Being able to show that you are happy or mad in ways that others can understand is an important thing to learn early.

The "no car seat" twist

Her Dad and Mom are very patient. She is old enough to know that she has to get in the car seat, but too little to care if she is safe.  She just wants her freedom.  Dad and Mom are very good about being clear that she has to get in. Though it might seem like forever, soon she will soon learn that it is just easier to get buckled in so she can get home and get out.
 

Bedtime problem

This smart little girl has a new toy and a Dad that is great to play with.  No wonder she doesn't want to go to bed. At family gatherings, this type of situation can cause problems when some grownups feel that parents should be tough and make her go up the first time while others feel that it is OK for her to stay up and play since it is a special time.  Sometimes it helps for parents to talk about how they want things to go with their kids before there are a bunch of other people around.

Can you say?

This little girl is showing that she can say a few words.  She seems to understand a lot more.  She sure can understand "Can you say...?".   Mom is having fun teaching her to talk and she is having fun learning!

Taking the baby to the grocery store

     This family has clean and secure way for the baby to sit in the cart. Dad is keeping a good eye on the baby. Baby is VERY interested in getting a package out of the cart and is finally able to do it. Letting him try entertained him for quite a while. Wonder how they will handle the tantrum that might happen when Dad takes the package away.

Learning to count: who has more patience?

 This Dad is working on counting. The little guy is more interested in naming. They are very patient with each other and find a way to work out their differences so they can have fun together.

Can you understand her?

   This little girl is naming her toys.  Like many little kids, she knows what she is saying,  but most people couldn't understand her.  Good thing her Mom can.  Mom does a good job of saying the names back to her.  As the little girl hears the names and  gets more practice talking, more people will be able to understand her.

Playing with cars

Playing with cars with Dad is a quick and easy game.  The fun part for this kid is having Dad push the car to him.  Dad can help him learn about things like fast and slow.  Maybe later, he will learn to push the car back to Dad.

Playing blocks- full family involvement

This  family is teaching the little guy to knock down a tower of  blocks.  The whole family is involved in some way.  He figures it out fast, so maybe they will move on to teaching him to build.  It looks like he'd like to try that too.
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