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Home › Articles › Development › Room to Grow

Room to Grow

Giving Your Toddlers Independence and Encouraging Them to Explore

By Shel Franco

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Safety First
Vicki Folds, vice president of education for Tutor Times Learning Centers, suggests the first step in giving toddlers room to grow is child-proofing the home.

"I would suggest a house safety check list, [listing things like] toxins, stairs, doors with locks, etcetera," she says.

Checklists such as the one Folds suggests are available at many police stations and libraries.

You'll quickly learn that it's not just the big things, like stairs and outlets, that need to be addressed. Rothenberg says child-proofing means little things, like moving breakable items out of a toddlers reach and replacing them with non-breakable pieces.

"We cannot expect toddlers to resist touching an attractive but fragile knick-knack," she says.

Encourage Exploration
While you are safety-checking your home, it's important to keep in mind that safety doesn't necessarily mean off-limits. Before you child-proof every kitchen cabinet, step back and look at things from your toddler's point of view.

"If toddlers are drawn to those mysterious cupboards that contain wondrous items, let's make that where his or her toys are stored," says Folds. "Be sure to provide nesting articles such as an old set of easy to lift pots with lids in various sizes, cups that can slide on top of another one for nesting and stacking, plastic or Tupperware jars and twist or snap-on lids. Place a colorful article in each plastic container and your toddler will spend a concentrated portion of time attempting and probably succeeding in opening the lids. This is great for expanding their concentration, eye/hand coordination and developing those small muscles in the hands and fingers."


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