The first few years of life lay the foundation for your child where they grow intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. In these early formative years, your toddlers are like sponges, ready to absorb everything the world has in store for them. So, what does your child absorb and learn from the exciting life happening around them? What are the life lessons and exciting things that happen in them? Let’s take a look.
Imagining and Creating
Nature is a great teacher! When you let your kids play in open it becomes a new experience for them altogether. From listening to birds chirping, to seeing round chapatis to learning to walk and making a sentence haltingly, your offspring is exposed to new sounds, shapes, people, activities and experiences every moment. This is a chance for them to discover the world and themselves and have fun along the way. Curiosity aids self-learning. Letting them play in the mud can bring their imagination and creativity alive.
Thinking
As your child slowly crawls around before taking their first steps and make all kinds of sounds before they can say Mumma and Dadda, they also develop their own sense of self. They realise they can put their thoughts into words. They learn to make decisions on their own and solve problems no matter how small. It could be something as simple as completing household chores where they learn to manage their time and introspect. These are life-lessons that play a big role in shaping them as individuals. They begin to experience and understand the world in their own way.
Feeling
How does a child understand feeling? When they are hurt or scared you give them a hug; when they are naughty they are scolded; when they are happy they laugh. They notice how people around them behave and the different reactions they receive. They learn what is acceptable and what isn’t. They understand that it is good to explain to an elder person if they are tired or hungry rather than throw a temper tantrum. Your young ones can express their thoughts more freely in an environment that allows them to grow freely. They also emulate values like listening, compassion and empathy when they see their elders treat them the same way.
Moving
Childhood is a time for fun, song and dance. Never underestimate the power that these simple activities hold for your child. While reading books, learning to play instruments and playing video games may be cool, it is very important for your child to move around. These things help your child develop motor skills along the way. They develop fine motor skills through activities like art and craft and gross motor skills through playing and dancing. Sports and games help them understand how amazing their body is and what they are capable of.
Socialising
One of the most important components is social intelligence; the ability to get along with others. Children are constantly monitored at home. But away from their parents, in places like a crèche , school or neighbour’s house, they learn to share with others and also learn the art of give-and-take. They learn to resolve conflict while playing in groups with children with different temperaments. They get the hang of communicating their ideas while being respectful of others. Thus, socialisation is said to one of the major factors which inculcates self learning.
Leading
If you leave children to play in a group on their own, you will begin to notice some taking initiative, some sharing their ideas and some following the majority. Each child has different abilities which shine in different situations. A creative child will speak up more when they are doing art work while an athletic child will set the pace at a sporty event. It is wonderful how your little ones learn to understand themselves and their capabilities. They develop independent thoughts and ideas. Everyday lessons can foster ambition in them and they grow into disciplined, fearless and confident leaders.
Life, they say, is the best teacher. Children, with their enthusiasm to discover the world, are amazing students. They pick up new skills from different experiences and interactions with people. The Blue Bells School in Gurgaon, one of the best CBSE schools , believes in harnessing the power of education to create an eternal love for learning and growing in children.