Offering stimulating materials to a child will encourage them to develop the necessary skills needed to grow and build their own unique language, social, and knowledge levels.
There are so many items available in today's market that stimulate a child's interest. We as parents and caregivers have to be very careful in our selection of what we expose our kids to.
We as parents, grandparents and providers need to be cautious and careful about what materials we place in front of them even at the youngest toddler years. Kids begin to form opinions about what is right, and what is wrong at a very young age. They learn what makes Mommy and Daddy sad, or angry. They also learn quickly what makes Mommy and Daddy smile and be happy. And children will often "do" or "behave" in the way they think will make us happy. Kids instinctively want to make people around them happy, they want to feel accepted and loved.
When they are good, or we see that they have made good choices, we need to praise them and make them feel special. We need to tell them how proud we are that they chose to make a healthy decision. Whether it is choosing "not to hit Johnny" when he came over and grabbed a truck right out of your son's hand"....or whether your child decided not to lie to you about something, whatever the littlest occasion or opportunity presents itself, we need to take full advantage and tell the child just how proud we are of them and how "grown up" we think they are! Repeated praise gives the child a sense of self-worth and improves his self image and motivates him to repeat the "good behavior" that he just performed.
It is such an awesome responsibility to think that we are molding and shaping a whole little person! But the rewards are so awesome. When you see that your children are maturing and choosing a healthy lifestyle, picking friends that support them and encourage them to reach their dreams, and having forming good moral characters, it is so heart-warming to think that we had even the tiniest influence in "who they become" .
If you have children in your life, enjoy the journey and "hang on" because they are constantly energetic, changing their interests, and right when you think you know what is best for them, they have you second guessing yourself !
