Toddlers are learning every minute of the day, all the live-long day- you don't need formal training, you don't need specialized pre-packaged knowledge, you don't need certain entertainment; your toddler will still learn without any of that.
When we six siblings were little, and Mom wanted to strip and wax the floors (done weekly, mind you, on hands and knees) she would barricade us in the living room with the dining chairs- which we helped to move and we used to fashion our own barricade- we knew the drill and why: strong ammonia water and wet-wax; no one wanted to face what would happen if someone tracked on the floor before it was dry. Out came the blocks for a tower building contest, or the puzzles for the puzzle race, or, later, the HotWheels track and cars. Sometimes, we were sent outside to pick up sticks (sounds weird, but our huge willow tree shed sticks and they made good kindling) or play (of course, this is when, despite the same number of strangers and dangers around, children were allowed to be, well, children, and play outside without an actual tether to an adult). Sometimes we were allowed to go play in the basement, which was a not-quite off-limits area of wonder with Dad's workbench, the wide-open, cold space of the terrazzo floor and all the hide-and-seek places down there.
When Mom was making supper, it wasn't unusual to find a toddler on the floor with a couple pots and pans, some wooden spoons, a lid or two, banging around. We had a lazy-susan corner cupboard, and we were encouraged to drag things off the two shelves, and then ride the thing around to the back to clean out the back corner. We were also allowed to- oh my goodness!- run about 2" of water in the bathtub, take off all our clothes, and splash and play, again, with no adult actually right there in the same room with us because Mom could hear everything and we were usually yelling, "Come see! Watch! Watch this!" which is always a comfort.
I know it is also agin' the new rules for proper child-raising (*eyeroll*) but we took naps until we were in all-day school, AND we had a bedtime which was fairly early- we were in bed by 7p.m., allowed to read or look at books quietly for a short time, then lights out. None of this "...and the child will let you know when s/he is tired, when you can start the bedtime ritual..." nonsense- seven o'clock, go to bed, and my parents took some time to be adults without children around, took some time for themselves. That isn't wrong, you know- you don't have to steal time, you have to make time, and sometimes making that time means children's petty wants don't come first.
As I've written this, what has occurred to me is, the reason you are so worried about your toddler being educationally entertained each minute of every day is that you've bought into the idea there's a 'right way' to raise a child so they succeed, are smartest, go to the right school, make all the right choices, yada-yada. There isn't, really. Kids seem to manage most things- same as you have- with or without trips to the library, the 'right' music, language lessons, playdates and all that other new-age, studies-show stuff. In fact, my siblings and I all made it here with a pan, a lid and a wooden spoon.
Read other related questions on Quora:
- What are some fun adventures for toddlers?
- Does a toddler boy watching TV/iPad extensively (2-3 hours a day) delay his speech?
- How can I make my toddler give up TV/tablets/smartphones and take up books and toys?
from Quora http://ift.tt/29Tl86f
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