Page 97 - April Issue

in focus: toddler
“Allowing your child to have
access to play time with
children in their own age group
is essential for their social skill
development.”
that your child finds difficult.”
By guiding your child and
increasing their confidence with
difficult tasks, they will be more for characters in stories. Logan www.lifeworksdubai.com
confident when playing with
their peers.
By three to four years of
age, Logan emphasises that
children enjoy engaging in more
complex and imaginative play.
“This is where you will see your
child playing dress up games
and pretending to be someone
else,” she says, and also by
this age children are able to
feel sympathy and empathy
advises: “Social skills such as
turn taking, waiting and sharing
will have now developed. Your
child will have varying levels
of success making friends and
engaging in play with them.
You can assist your child by
providing them with time and
access to their playmates.
Sharing
The ability to share, tells
Benton, begins around the
ages of three or four. “Children
under this age are too young
to share and need to be taught
how,” she says and there are
normal steps in learning to
share such as possessiveness
and ownership which are
part of your child’s natural
develop. Children are learning
to share at this age and need
guidance and teaching, she
says and advises that when
a child is having problems
sharing try finding solutions,
such as finding another toy
they can offer a friend, finding
something else they can do
while they wait for their turn, or
suggesting and demonstrating
ways they can play with the toy
together. “Other skills which
can be taught over time include
teaching the process of sharing
by kindly and firmly removing
the item they wanted, offer
comfort yet allow them their
frustration, then offer empathy
“It is hard to share. You really
wanted that,” she says. Other
ways to help your child, says
Benton include model sharing
by playing trading games with
your child or play games where
their dolls have to share with
each other.
CREDITS: mother, baby & child April 2011
Carmen Benton MA (Ed), Dip Tch
LifeWorks Parenting Educator
04-3942464
LifeWorks runs five week courses in Positive
Discipline in the First Three Years.
Gurkamal Punia Dasani – Bachelor of Science
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy Department Head
Jennifer Logan – Bachelor of Science
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapist
Child Early Intervention Medical Center
Dubai Healthcare City
www.childeimc.com
04-4233667
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