We’ve all heard of the “terrible twos and threes” – it’s when toddlers begin throwing more tantrums and testing their limits, especially in regards to their parents.  Where I do agree many children begin discovering their independence, and begin testing their parents patience, I believe that a part of this has a lot to do with a child’s ability to communicate.

Think of it this way:  a child can become most frustrated during this time because they can’t clearly communicate what it is they want.  This is a time where their little desires go beyond the usual eating, sleeping, playing and diaper change.  During this time, they are wanting more attention, more independence, and their desires are evolving into a more complex request.  The issue is, can we understand what it is they want?  Wouldn’t you be upset if you thought you were communicating clearly in your mind and no one seemed to understand you?

It is like moving to another country where everyone speaks another language.  No one understands you, and after a while, you may feel frustrated.  After years of reading and in observing my own child through her toddler years: her tantrums were usually upsets based around a communication barrier.  She knew what she wanted, but conveying this to me turned out to be a frustrating endeavour at times.  One solution would be to teach your child to talk early on in their development; a process that will support you as their parent and them in finding more harmony, balance and peace in day-to-day affairs.

Babies Versus Toddlers

As babies, children learned to communicate through crying, cooing and mimicking noises they heard from people around them.  If it was something serious they needed, such as food or a new diaper, they would cry in order to get our attention.  This worked quite well for them as babies.  They got what they wanted by crying.  As they grew into a toddler, this behaviour may not have been trained out of them.  They have learned that in order to get something they really want, they just have to cry, we will somehow understand what they want and POOF!  What they want unfolds before them.

But let’s be honest, by the time they are toddlers we don’t want them to cry every time they want something.  We want them to tell us what they want.  One reason is because it can be quite embarrassing to be in a grocery store when your two year old suddenly throws herself on the ground when you refuse to get her the cereal she wants!

What can we do to teach our child or children to talk early?

 

Tips to Get Your Toddler Talking Early

I have a friend whose son could speak impeccably from a young age.  When I asked him what he did to encourage such behaviour, he said that even though he knew what his son wanted every time he pointed to something or murmured a baby word, he would sit with his son a few extra minutes and say, “What do you want?  Tell daddy what you want.”  If his son would start crying after his father denied him something, his father would sit down and explain to him why he wasn’t allowed to have what he wanted.  In short, despite his son’s age he spoke to his son as if he were an adult.  After a minute his son would calm down and move onto other things.  The only downside to this, if you would call it a downside, is that now his son has amazing cognitive and negotiation skills as an older boy; something the father wasn’t quite prepared for!

In short, there are three things listed above you can do to start teaching your child to talk early:

  • Encourage them to speak properly from early on.
  • Talk to them as though they understand you even if their vocabulary or comprehension doesn’t match yours.
  • Take the extra time to work with them now so you can enjoy the fruits of your labours later on.

In fact, the earlier you start this, the better it may be for you AND your baby later on down the road.  Those few extra minutes early on can save you tons of time down the road, not to mention, frustration from both you AND your toddler.

Additionally, the side effects of doing these three simple things are:

  • Less tantrums (which makes for happier parents).
  • Your child or children will speak earlier and more confidently.
  • The ability to deny your child something in public with fewer upsets and “scenes.”

In summary, I have always believed that if a parent sets their child up for success early on by taking the extra time and initiative, they will enjoy the benefits of their actions later.  It is normal for children to cry in order to get what they want, but unfortunately this isn’t necessarily how the world works.  If I fuss to my boss about something, or throw a tantrum, this behaviour will either get me suspended or fired!  It won’t get me what I want at all!

Little Human Scholars Nursery, Daycare Centre, Playschool, Preschool and kindergarten in PJ accepts children as young as three months old and practices these exact things.  It is amazing to see how fast a child develops when they are put in a stimulating environment!  Located near PJ Old Town, PJ New Town, University Hospital, IT mall, Jaya 33 and Jaya One, Little Human Scholars in Petaling Jaya not only offers full day daycare and extended hours, but they have full programmes from children aged two months old all the way up to six years old.  They even offer half day daycare for children who go to school nearby!

If you are interested in seeing the nursery, preschool, playschool, daycare or kindergarten for yourself, please call +6017-7303-025 and a representative will be happy to schedule an time for you to come in.

Cheers!

Jana Moreno