Toddlers are at an important stage for social and emotional development, where they are learning how to interact with the world and how to understand and express their own emotions. It is a key stage for language development and emotional regulation, so your role in encouraging and providing a safe environment is essential. 

Did you know by creating a caring, supportive, and encouraging environment you promote better social and emotional outcomes for your children. Your involvement in the early years can lead to higher academic readiness for your child as they begin school. Equally as importantly, dads’ who are involved and supportive help their children be more confident and have better social connections with their peers.  

Spending quality time with your toddler is key to their development. We say QUALITY of QUANTITY.

One way to use your quality time together is to develop their language.

How do you do this?

Here are some tips!

• Describe what you are doing. I’m putting the food out for breakfast. I made scrambled eggs because we all like them. There is some tangerine juice to drink. Tangerine juice tastes a lot like orange juice that you think is so yummy.  
• Talk about what your child is doing (explain things). Look how high you made that LEGO skyscraper. Let’s count how many pieces are in your construction.  
• Narrate your adventures in the car, at the grocery store, or on a walk. e.g. Look how many plums are in the bin. They are all round and purple, except for this one on top.  
• Read aloud to your child every day. What do you think it means that the spider wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside the old lady?  
• Ask good questions and pause. Ask your child open-ended questions and give him or her time to respond. Try not to finish their sentences for them. For example: what was your favourite part of our trip to the zoo?  
• Make it interesting. Talk to your child about things they’re interested in use expression to keep it engaging.   
• Gradually expand on words and explain them. As your child progresses, begin to use different describing words that are more complex (don’t forgot to explain what they mean).   

The toddler years are peak developmental years, they are little sponges and soak up anything and everything around them. Be sure to use your quality time together to strengthen your connection and positively influence their social, emotional and cognitive development.

Want to read more? Check out the Raising Toddlers e-book here.