Relationships with toddlers- ideas and tips
Before ‘The One’ came along, there existed the very first love of our lives.
Our parents! Your toddler has a purer definition of the world ‘Love’. A love that is unadulterated. One that knows no boundaries. When they look at you, their eyes laced with innocence, they are secretly hoping you feel the same way about them, too.
Of course you reciprocate your toddler’s feelings, but do you show it to them? The hallmark of a great relationship lies in what we ‘do’ for the special people in our lives.
There’s a reason that they say, ‘If you love her, tell her!’ When was the last time you told your toddler that you loved them?
One point that must be taken note of here, is that you don’t have to mouth those all-important words ‘I love you’, to show your toddler how much they mean to you.
Want to learn how to bond with your toddler? In this article we will explore some Healthy Relationship Tips that will help firmly cement the relationship between you and your little one. These Relationship Ideas will go a long way in helping you forge the kind of relationship with your child, you forever dreamed of having.
Without any further ado, let’s delve into those Relationship Ideas!
How to Bond with your Toddler: Healthy Relationship Tips
Looking for some positive parenting techniques to strengthen the relationship with your child? Look no further than these stellar Relationship Ideas!
Show them The Love
‘Show me the Money’, is a quote well-attributed to Tom Cruise’s character in the epic flick Jerry Maguire. In real life, your child is silently screaming, Show me the ‘Love’!
To do: Gift your little one as much of the ‘Human Touch’ you possibly can. This includes Making Eye Contact, Smiling and of course, giving them that ‘Bear Hug’ that they cannot get enough of!
Read with them
It’s nice to buy your little one new ‘things’, but more important to spend ‘time’ with them.
To do: Buy some books that you believe your children will love. Read those books out to them, or have them read out the books to you! No matter what, spending time together reading books will make for a truly memorable ‘bonding’ experience.
Play
Children love doing this the most, so why not be their Playmate?
To do: Get goofy playing with your child, just like any of their friends would. When you play together, it will only help you connect more with them, thanks to all the Endorphins and Oxytocin released in the both of you.
Sing Together
Unlike adults, children don’t have any Inhibitions, when they are singing.
To do: Sing along with your little one, to their favourite song. Then step up the volume, and break into a jig with them! All that singing and dancing will make for loads of exhilarating fun, and also deepen your relationship with your child.
A Sense of Independence
It’s never too early to foster a sense of Independence in your little one.
To do: You want to allow your toddler to make important choices. At least, choices that are important in ‘their’ eyes. Like, picking out what T-shirt they would like when you take them out shopping, or even choosing which brand cookies to buy!
Family Traditions
When children know the meaning of ‘family’, they understand the meaning of love in a way like no other.
To do: You want to create a sense of Family Traditions, that children look forward to indulging in every now and then. For instance, no matter what, Friday night must be Movie Night. If you have to go out with friends, let it be on a Saturday! Even other routines, like going to Granny’s house on Sunday, will only reinforce the concept of ‘family’ in their minds. In turn, it will further strengthen their bond with you, as well.
Empathize with them
Yes, we are talking to our children all the time, but are we ever ‘listening’ to them?
To do: Never cut off your child, when they are speaking to you. The words that were coming next, might just have been a confession of some sort! You want to be receptive when they speak, empathizing with them as they talk and showing them that you understand. Taking a cue from the infamous song from ‘Friends’, show them that you mean it when you tell them, ‘I’ll be there for you!’
Be ‘Hands Free’, if you want to be a ‘Hands On’ Parent!
There’s nothing that shows you don’t really care, by being on your phone whilst in the company of someone.
To do: Show them that you are truly ‘with them’, whenever you spend time with them. You want to set your mobile phone aside, and even abstain from watching your favourite game or soap on the television. This is something your child is going to remember forever. That they mattered so much to you, that you set your phone aside for them.
Let them do simple chores
Children want to believe that you think they are Important!
To do: Give them that sense of ‘importance’, by assigning everyday chores to them. Like, helping you with the laundry or even, setting the table for dinner!
Talk to Them
Yes you must ‘listen’ to them, but ‘talking’ to them is essential, too.
To do: Ask them how their day was. The friends they interacted with, and the things they did. Talking is one way of getting yourself to Listen to them. After that, tell them how ‘your’ day was. They will be fascinated to hear about even the simplest things you did, and feel a sense of closeness to you like no other.
At Eurokids we believe that it is none other than the Parent-Child Relationship, that accounts for the Holistic development of children. This pertains to their Physical, Social and Emotional Development. When you nurture a close bond with your little one, it will actually lay the foundation for their personality.
