Toddlers are curious, willing, and loving. They are strong-willed, know what they want, and are very driven to achieve it. They test and push the boundaries. They give the best hugs. They are painfully honest, have big feelings, and have many opinions about life. They are my favorite people!
Typically, toddlers seem to do things slowly, taking every moment in, enjoying the process, not the product. They do not feel the same sense of urgency as we do: we want the task to be accomplished, the toddler wants the task to last as long as they are interested in performing it. However, they are very easy to distract: they see something and immediately forget what they were doing. When they do discover deep concentration, they are capable of working for a prolonged period of time. In our Young Children’s Community, we present lessons with slow movements so the child can repeat our actions. We talk to a child in a slower manner to allow them to process our words.
You may ask: Do toddlers always move slowly through the classroom? Of course not, you can frequently see an excited toddler galloping through the room, or an artistic toddler performing an unknown song of their own composition in a very loud volume, or a group of toddlers trying to exercise social interactions in not the most socially acceptable manner. Usually, they act that way because they feel tired and overstimulated. They certainly are not slow or calm and far from peaceful. My golden method for bringing them back to calmness is going for a walk. After a short walk around the campus, we usually end up at the playground. Digging in the sand, listening to the birds singing. Enjoying open space without too many rules always restores deep concentration, relaxation, and happiness.
Slowing down with toddlers has parallels to our own busy lives, where there are too many things on the checklists and not enough time to accomplish them. Sometimes life feels too busy and stressful. Our job’s expectations do not allow us to slow down. We also want to do so much for our children and feel guilty when we are doing less. But less and simpler is the best that we can offer our toddlers. They need connections, quality time, cuddles, our presence, being heard and noticed, feeling helpful, and being a contributing member of the family. Remember, they are two only once, and everything you do with your toddler builds memories for the future.
If your family's mornings are hectic, try to slow down in the evening. Plan some downtime after the busy week. Unplug, avoid screen time, go for a walk, ride a bike, read a book together, tell your child a made-up story, light a candle at the dinner table, or listen to music. Try it for a week or two and see what you think about it.