Tips for Toddlers
Did your baby love to listen to books and now that they’re on-the-go you feel like they don’t like books anymore?
📚 Reading with toddlers is a whole different thing! Toddlers are so busy! They’re running around everywhere. They're learning and exploring with their bodies. Actually, it may be they would like books just as much but at a different time or maybe in a different way that you've been presenting them.
📚 Your toddler might love listening to you read in these ways:
while they're playing with cars and trucks
while they're building with blocks
while they’re taking a bath
while they’re playing in the sandbox
while they’re eating
while waiting at doctor’s office
while playing in the toy kitchen
while waiting at restaurant
many of the times when you’re....on your phone 😉📱
calm down time, nap time and bedtime, of course
📚 Maybe just being at their level is what is needed. Try sitting on the floor with them and have a pile of fun books. You could read one and they could play with the others. You could position a basket of books by a window or a comfy seat, a spot that's easily accessible for your toddler. Be sure to provide books that they can be successful with - maybe pages that are thick, board book pages rather than paper pages. You might keep board books down low for them to access anytime and paper page books are up so you could read those together.
It's fun to read a stack of books together - you might be reading one while your child is playing with the others. 😊
📚 Your child might be ready for flap books and to make that be successful you'll want large sturdy flaps in the beginning. Enjoy these books together with the child a few times. Show them how gentle to be with flaps. They may easily rip those flaps because they aren't sure how they work, so your gentle guidance here can bring sweet success. Show them how to love those flaps. They might still tear them, however your support will help. Give them full access to those books when you feel they can have success with them. 💡 You might find reinforcing flaps with clear packing tape is helpful.
📚 Line your stairs with a few books and rotate them often, so your children have different books to look within easy reach. It's nice to be able to see the full cover of books.
📚 As you start reading paper page books it may be helpful to have a stuffed toy that coordinates with the book. The stuffed toy can stay in your child's hands to help keep those hands busy as you turn the pages and help them learn how much care to give those paper page books. They’ll love having that character come to play with them, too!
📚 Calm down time, nap time and bedtime are GREAT times for I love you, snuggle up books! Those are wonderful! Be sure to include some reading time with your toddler every day, sprinkle it throughout the day. Enjoy these times, whether it's one book here and there or the same one over and over and over again.
Comment with your biggest take-away from this post? Share it with your friends, as it could be helpful for them too.
