GangTots and Toddlers, Their Real Needs

Most of the things that we do for our babies are not so much for them but for ourselves. For instance buying brand name clothing is definitely not for the baby as they dont have a clue and dont care, they are happy just to be warm and dry. Save your money for things like college funds and extra lessons, should they be needed later on. A good education will serve your little member far better than being paraded about in the latest and greatest baby outfit that you maybe cannot afford. Our Gang tots and toddlers really dont NEED designer clothes.

Our little Gang Tots and toddlers, have to be approached with more than a modicum of common sense. Their needs and rights are really very simple. These are quite simply; a warm and clean cot or bed, a dry nappy, clean clothes, food that enriches their growth, both brain and body, the right amount of sleep, exercise, a whole lot of love, and the protection of the whole family gang.

We owe our Gang Tots and toddlers, love, caring, food, protection from the elements and from predators, man and beast These things we OWE to our children and if they cannot be supplied or given, then we should not be in the business of having them until we can provide all of these things!

The things that our Gang Tots and toddlers really don't need, are usually those items that many parents believe will make their children happy, and that will prove to their youngsters and the world at large that they are loved. Unfortunately a lot of the gifts are age inappropriate and often really young children, [between the ages of 2 and 4yrs] find themselves in a bedroom surrounded by TV's, play stations, DVD players and mountains of other toys that they do not play with. Again a lot of these gifts do not represent the things that our little gang members want or need. They are most often the things that mom and dad believe they should have as proof of love, and that they personally get a kick out of giving. Don't mistake money for love, children don't. A play station can't provide love or caring.

It may surprise us to know that quite often the child with the most, is often the child who is deprived and neglected. This may sound ridiculous but consider the child who has a TV in the bedroom. This is the child that is often sleep deprived and never learns how to get to sleep naturally. This child is also less likely to be read a night time story by his/her parents. That is deprivation! Children of all ages love to be read a story before bed time. TV is fine for rainy days and a bit of a prop' for a half hour or so whilst sorting supper, but family games, singing and playing at tea parties etc; [Believe me I have 'pretend' eaten more than my fair share of mud cakes] gives more to a child, than staring at a screen for hours at a time can provide. No child between the ages of 4-5 should ever play on computers and play stations for more than two hours at a stretch and preferably less than that. They would be the children deprived of human interaction, exercise and fresh air. We often take into consideration that the dog needs exercise and attention, but ignore the fact that our Gang Tots and toddlers do too. There is nothing like fresh air to make babies and toddlers, sleep peacefully.

If we want our Gang Tots, toddlers and babies to buy into our gang then we need to make sure that they get to interact with us from the get go. On this note I have to point out again that babies especially, love to be spoken to by their parents. So prams that face the general public rather than mom or dad deprives them of that interaction with the most important people in their young lives. The other obvious problem with prams that face out, is that we also don't get to see what's going on in the pram. Buying a pram for the brand name alone is thoughtless!

Pram problems also include tots and toddlers who are never allowed out of them. Babies who walk early in life, between 8 and 12 months are usually 'hyperactive' and need as much exercise as they can get. These little ones do not have hyperactivity disorder they simply need to run, play and investigate longer than other more laid back tots. This may take more of your time and attention, but allowing them this sort of freedom pays off in the long run. They sleep well at night!

Our Gang Tots and toddlers need good food, not sweets and crisps or biscuits. WE teach them to like these things. WE teach them that they can have these junk foods instead of real food and WE teach them preference, by scrunching up our faces when we feed them food that WE don't particularly like. All the while they are avidly reading every expression on our faces for information and interpreting meanings like little sleuths! Our look of disgust when giving a baby medicine or food, tells them that what they are about to receive, is not what their parents are truly thankful for! So why on earth should they be?? Babies are reading our faces for information on everything that is going on around them and us. They are atuned to reading disgust, panic or fear, happiness, sadness and anger almost from the second they hit the deck and enter the world. So for future reference if you need a child to take medicine that could potentially save his/her life, don't screw your face up whilst trying to get a spoonful into the childs mouth. The same goes for foods that are good but not liked by the parent, hide your preference and allow your child to make up his/her own mind! The less sugary foods and snacks we give out the less they will want, or even miss them.

Tots and toddlers need quality attention from their parents which means giving some of our time for them alone. My little Gang Tots, loved to be read to in the evenings before going to sleep or lights out. My daughter who was two and a half at the time requested her favourite story, 'The Old Woman And Her Pig' every night for almost six months before I could persuade her to try another! But by that time my son was a bit older and his preferences had widened a bit so I had a choice of about three or four of his favourite stories to read! After reading the stories I would leave them to have a look at the pictures for a while after. I knew when books had grabbed my daughters attention and that was when she got interested enough to hold the book up the right way and study the pages before flipping them over three at a time! I have listed two of my children's favourite bed time stories, that I read over and over again to them! In fact by the time they decided to move on to another story they could almost tell the story word for word without me actually reading the pages. Remember children that get read to, will be more likely to enjoy reading for themselves as they get older. They are also better equipped at verbalising their own emotions, through characters in stories that express feelings that they themselves might have at any given time. Catch them whilst they are young!

Utah Preschool Day Care Center

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