728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Your Toddlers › Toddler's Day Out

Toddler's Day Out

Tips for Summer Playgroups

By Jacqueline Bodnar

Pages:  1  2  3  

(Little, Brown, 2003). "It's normal for very young children to ignore each other, to snatch toys and to cry when they don't get what they want."

Understanding that there may be problems can help you work to prevent them from happening and deal with them if they do. Although children this age may have a hard time sharing, they may be able to understand the concept of taking turns. Groups like this are great for helping children begin to understand the concepts of taking turns and following directions. When toddlers get frustrated, they may resort to hitting, pushing or biting. Preventing such problems before they start is the key. When you see a child getting frustrated, try to step in with a new activity, provide a healthy snack or physically separate the children.

"Parents can definitely benefit from play dates for young children," says Kennedy-Moore. "Besides having the camaraderie of other parents, play dates are also a great opportunity to observe other children. Seeing that everybody else's kid does it, too, can help parents feel more confident in their own parenting abilities and more accepting of their child's developmentally normal behavior."

Playgroup Planning
It's a good idea to plan the playgroups for children this age. Having fewer children wll help keep things calmer. Another good way to avoid meltdowns is to keep the visits short; a good range for this age would be no more than two hours at once. When it comes to deciding what to do during that time, keep in mind that the activities should be something that will involve all the children and should be kept age-appropriate.


Pages:  1  2  3  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.