This month, Olivia turns 2. At this point in a toddler’s life, most moms are thinking about how to overcome the “terrible twos.” (We, however, got a head start when she was about 18 months.) But I now find myself thinking about new ways to stimulate my toddler.
We recently started practicing the alphabet, which she loves singing and got most of it within a week. Then, we moved on to learning colors. For her, everything is pink, so we’ll have to come back to that in a while. Unfortunately, we don’t have a TV, so learning through shows is not an option. One toddler I know can sit through a whole half-hour cartoon show, mesmerized. Not Olivia. She’s into it for about three minutes and then wants to do something else.
So now, I’m thinking of enrolling her in some type of class. A lot of my friends’ kids take some sort of physical activity and the parents rave about how great it is. One toddler goes to Gymboree a few times a week, another does dance, and another does swimming. When I was pregnant with Olivia, I promised I would enroll her in swimming classes as soon as she was old enough, but then the idea of her being in a pool freaked me out, which is hilarious, because, obviously, the idea is that she learns to swim and learns water safety!
What I find more important than her taking classes, though, is being stimulated in her day-to-day routines. (Don’t we all wish our routines stimulated us?) Daycare does a great job of that, but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing the best job at home. Is she bored? Does she miss her daycare friends?
Lately, I’ve been propping her up on the counter when I’m cooking; yesterday, she helped me make her oatmeal and boasted, “I made oatmeal!” She helps me clean up after meals and takes pride in putting her toys away. She feeds the animals and gives them their treats. She even sympathizes with them and tells us that they’re hungry or tired — or my favorite, “Doggy wants juice, because it’s hot!”
I realize more and more that doing everyday activities is just as stimulating to her as doing an art project in daycare. Whatever she’s doing, she’s learning and becoming more curious about the world around her. And as her mom, it’s fascinating to watch the world through her eyes. Everything is new, exciting, and an offers an opportunity to learn.
