What you should be teaching your 2 year old

All parents want to teach their children what they need to know in life. Mums and dads often teach their kids life lessons from an early age. Some parents start the teaching process early on. Other parents might delay the process until later. However, you can start teaching your child different things even when they’re young. The following information will explain what you should be teaching your 2-year-old. While a child might not grasp everything at first, giving them a head start will help them to get a head start in life.

A Quick Word about the Learning Process for Kids

Babies start to learn at an early age. They begin to understand things between the ages of 6 – 12 months. They can start to speak between 6 – 9 months. Keep in mind that some kids can grasp things quickly and others take a bit longer. Mums you shouldn’t worry if your kids are not learning how to do everything you want them to know by age 2. Remember, kids are different, and they will develop differently. The main thing you should know is that you must help your child to learn at their own pace. I other words, don’t expect your kids to be geniuses just because that’s what you want. You can teach them early on, but you should also be realistic about your expectations.

Teach your 2-Year-Old How to Count…

You can start off teaching your child how to count between 1 – 20. Keep one thing in mind about the learning process. Most of what we know as humans is common knowledge. For example, counting from 1 – 100 is common knowledge that all people should know. Why? Because counting is a basic part of life that helps people to number things, order things, and keep track of things. Since common knowledge instruction is a part of life, all people must remember what this knowledge is to learn it.

Here is another example. A 2-year-old child can be taught from 1 – 20 by simply repeating the numbers. They might not fully understand the concept of a number, but they can at least grasp the basic idea of a number. Helping a child to count from 1 – 20 at the age of 2 will provide them with a basic foundation for learning numbers and mathematical concepts.

Help your Child to Develop their Vocabulary…

Kids start to speak when they are about 6 months old. Once again, some kids will take longer to speak than others. Also, some kids will begin to speak just a few months outside of a person’s wound. Remember, not all kids develop and learn in the same way. Most kids will use up 300 words by the time they are 2 or 3. Again, some kids will know more words and others might know less. Dads, you can introduce new words to your child. Stick with easy-to-understand common words that are normally used in everyday conversation and life. Words such as “me, if, he, she, am, us, you, and I” are common English pronouns. They are the perfect words that people can use to teach and expand their child’s vocabulary.

Help them to Learn the Alphabet…

Young kids need to know the English alphabet. The alphabet will teach them how to pronounce and write words. This is another common knowledge process that can be learned by memory. Again, a child can say the letters without fully understanding their significance. Parents, I encourage you to teach your child how to pronounce letter sounds while you introduce them to the letters. This will help them to understand the connection between phonic sounds, words, and their letter representation.

Teach the Importance of Patterns to Children…

Young children often need to know about the world around them. You can help children to understand the world around them by exposing them to patterns. Patterns are all around us. You can start by using the patterns in your home. Show them the colours you use to decorate your home. The colour scheme of your house represents a pattern. You can show them the different rooms in your home. Then explain to them how all homes have the basic same rooms, but they are arranged in different ways. This is a pattern about how homes are designed. Show them patterns pertaining to colours, designs, art, and in nature. Explain how patterns are all around us and how they create order and familiarity in our world.

Begin the Reading Process Early On…

Reading is a natural part of life that cannot be avoided. People will spend all of their lives reading some type of printed material. People read street signs, billboards, job applications, websites, instructions for video games, signs on businesses, and books. Reading is something that everyone does and that everyone must be prepared to do. No one can get through this life without reading something. At age 2, you can start to expose your kids to picture books with simple words. If they can handle more, then allow them more advanced material. The bottom line is that reading is an important element of life, and you should start to teach them early on.

Help them to Tell Stories…

Telling stories is another skill that children should know. Storytelling will provide them with a greater grasp of the English language. It will also help them to express themselves more effectively. Storytelling will also help young children to improve their social skills and their ability to connect with others. This skill helps to develop their social aptitude which is another life-long function that people should have. Storytelling can also help young people to tap into their creativity. This skill will also help them to better understand books, movies, cartoons, and other people.

Make Sure you Teach your Kid How to Have a Conversation…

Some kids go through life not knowing how to speak to others. One of the best ways to prepare your 2-year-old socially is by encouraging conversations. Teach your kids basic communication skills. Teach them about basic dialogue for specific situations and settings. Help them to understand that formal language should be used in certain places. Make it clear to them that certain words shouldn’t be said within certain environments. Help them to know what to say and when to say it. You should also teach them how to be humorous, serious, and when to be quiet. Help them to learn how to read a person’s body language and hidden social cues. Once they practise these skills from an early age they should be able to communicate effectively as they grow older.

Teach them How to Put on their Clothes…

Help your child to dress themselves. You can teach them how to put on a shirt and how to take it off. The same thing is true for pants, socks, and undergarments. There is a lot of wisdom in helping your child to learn how to dress themselves. A child who is able to dress up at an early age will usually have greater confidence, more control of their life, and more independence. These characteristics might not always be favorable for a young child. However, they can be beneficial in making your life easier. While your kid depends on you for everything, it will be nice to know that they can do this one thing for themselves. Parents, I caution you to put out the clothes you want your child to put on. Otherwise, they might dress themselves in a way that will make you look like you don’t care about your kids.

The Art of Problem Solving…

Problems are a natural part of life. They cannot be avoided. One of the best lessons that a parent can teach their kids, is how to solve problems. Parents, helping your kids to solve problems starts by showing them different things to do when they deal with an issue. For example, if they can’t find their favourite toy; you can teach them how to properly put away their playthings. This will help them to understand that cleaning up their toys will keep them from losing them so easily. You can also use puzzles, blocks, and crafts to teach this skill. Children can build or create things and use their logic to figure out ways to resolve an issue that they encounter during the process.

How to Play Independently…

Children have to learn how to play independently. Being able to play on their own is an important skill set. A child who can play on their own shows some level of maturity. It also shows that they don’t need to always have a playmate to enjoy themselves. Mums, you will definitely benefit from teaching this skill to your little one. This skill will allow dads to place their 2-year-old in a space by themselves, whilst they tend to other things. Just make sure to keep an eye on your child if you allow them to play independently.

Teach the Concept of Patience…

You can help your child to understand the concept of patience. This might be a challenge because children (people in general) are not patient by nature. When a child is going through the “terrible two’s” stage of development, they will need to learn how to be patient. You can teach your child this ability by purposely delaying what they like to do. They can also learn patience by not getting everything they want when they want it. This is a good skill to learn at an early age because it will help them throughout the rest of their lives.

The Importance of Good Manners…

Most parents don’t teach their kids to be bad. However, some do. Still, most parents will teach their kids to have manners and respect for others. This is an important life process that all children should know. Even if they don’t act on what they know, they will at least be aware that manners are important. Teaching a kid to refer to adults as “ma’am, sir, Mr., or Mrs.” is a critical component of social interaction. Children who can master their manners will usually be seen favourably amongst adults.

Body Parts…

A child should know about their body. This is an important part of life as well. They should know about their basic parts such as the arms, legs, hands, head, and feet. They should also know about their private parts as well. Having a knowledge of their body is important because it helps your kids to understand their physical appearance and how their body works. Also, this knowledge will give them a better understanding of who they are and what they can do in life.

A good game to help teach your Children about body parts is Hasbro’s Classic Operation Game! it also helps children enhance their fine motor skills.

Teach them about Shapes…

There are shapes all around us and kids should learn about them. Most houses are built with a square and rectangular design. Most streets have a rectangular shape. Cars and bicycles have circular-shaped tires and baseball fields are shaped like diamonds. Knowing these different shapes will help a kid to define the world around them.

The classic game of 4-in-a-Row is great for teaching children about circles! there’s various brands selling this game, the most popular being Hasbro’s Connect 4 Game.

Exploring the World Around Them…

Kids like to explore when they’re young. Young people who are fairly new to the world are discovering life on Earth. They’re understanding about the concepts of heat and cold, they look on with amazement at animal and plant life, and they are starting to interact with people – both good and bad. The point is that you should not limit your child’s ability to interact with the world. You should guide the process and take them outdoors to familiarize them with different things. You can also do this process over the internet. However, live interaction is best of all.

Safety and Danger: All Children Should Understand these Concepts…

Safety and danger are two things all children should understand early on. Safety is important because a child should have boundaries. You teach kids how to be safe by having them look both ways before crossing the street and staying away from strangers. You teach kids about danger by telling them not to touch the stove and to keep away from strange dogs. Parents, you must be diligent about your child’s safety and their level of danger. If not, you could potentially harm kids.

Teach your Kids How to Share…

Sharing is an important social skill that kids will need early on in life. Knowing how to share toys, school supplies, and even taking turns on a video game; will help your kids to further develop their ability to interact with others. Many kids don’t like children who are stingy and who don’t share. Knowing how to share also helps to keep conflicts from occurring and it usually makes everyone happy.

Music and Rhythm…

Music plays a large role in life. Music will help to define a person’s life as well. While it is not as important as knowing how to read, write, and do arithmetic; music does define how we live, function, socialize, and interact. Music brings out people’s creativity and helps to define them as individuals. Music is powerful. Teach your kids about music at the age of 2 or younger. Help them to understand the concept of rhythm since they will need it for dancing and socializing. Do not underestimate the power of music and the lessons it can teach. This function can help your kids to connect with the world in ways that words alone, could not do.

All about Chores and Helping Out…

Chores are extremely important to a child’s development. Kids must learn early on about the importance of hard work and helping out. If a parent doesn’t teach a kid about chores, they are setting them up for failure in life. Why? Chores provide kids with a realistic understanding of work. Kids need to know that dad and mum will not take care of them all of their lives. Chores teach kids to be independent, self-supporting, the value of work, and how to contribute in life. If a child doesn’t contribute to their own household, they will grow up failing in life. That is a fact. Chores and helping out should be taught early on and parents shouldn’t neglect this important lesson.

Kids Must Learn about Table Manners…

Throughout the centuries, mums taught their kiddos about the importance of table manners. When a kid is young, they’re going to be a messy eater. That is just an undeniable truth. Still, that doesn’t mean that parents can’t teach their 2-year-old kid some basic table rules. Important rules such as not throwing food or allowing the dog to eat their dinner, are very important. Kids should also be taught to pass things around the table and to wait patiently until they are served. Once dad lays a good foundation about table etiquette, a child can further build off these rules later in life. Having this knowledge will improve a child’s social value.

Teach your child how to Write their Name…

If you don’t teach your kids how to write their names, this will lead to a lot of confusion for them. Kids must know how to write their names. Knowing how to do this function will help them to better understand their identity. When a child knows how to write their own name it provides them with independence, power, and sense of purpose.

Teach your child how to Complete a Task…

It’s a known fact that adults who don’t complete their assignments never finished their work as children. Parents, behavior is a hard thing to change. If a child grows up without finishing their chores, completing their homework assignments, or following basic instructions; these bad behaviors will carry over into adulthood. You should teach them how to complete a task by having them start off with small things for them to do. Then you should gradually increase the tasks over time. For example, have them put away their toys. Once they are able to do this. Have them clean up their room. When they can do this have them clean up the bathroom. Est. The point is that children need to know how to complete a task early on.

Teach your child how to Swim…

While swimming might not be something that most people need to know how to do in life, it is a useful skill to have. Learning how to swim at an early age will help to build confidence for kids. This skill will also help kids to survive in marine or water-filled environments. Besides, swimming will help a child to have some wild and wet fun during the summer. It can also present another way for a child to socialize.

Teach your Kid the Importance of Sports…

Sports is another area that shouldn’t be denied to kids while they’re young. Kids should learn about different sports because physical competition plays a role in life. Sports develop the body, mind, and social skills. Sports provide kids with alternative ways to express themselves, relieve stress, meet people, and get outdoors. Also, if your child is good enough; they could become a professional athlete later in life. Parents don’t deny your kids the ability to play sports even if you don’t like them.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Healthy Living…

Kids have a poor diet when left to their own devices. They want junk over good foods in most situations. However, if mum limits their ability to eat junk and provides them with healthy alternatives; this could possibly change that. Teach kids about different fruits and vegetables. Stress the importance of a healthy diet early on. Don’t keep them away from sweets and treats just limit them. Children who learn about healthy eating at a younger age will generally have better health in life.

The Importance of Hygiene…

Kids don’t like to wash up and brush their teeth. They just don’t. Mums and dads know this. So, you’re going to have to be proactive with getting them to clean their bodies. Teach them the importance of hygiene. Good hygiene is a basic function of social interaction, and it also shows that people care about themselves. You should teach a child to care for their body by washing their face, brushing their teeth, and taking baths or showers. You should also teach them how to comb their hair. Generally, this is going to be a challenging thing to teach but in time your child should understand the importance of hygiene.

The Importance of Potty Training…

Potty training is extremely important. This is a social skill that must be mastered. If not, a person can be socially ostracised. No child wants to be known as the kid that uses the bathroom on themselves. This will destroy their confidence and make it almost impossible to fit in. Mums and dads should start the potty training process around age 2.

Give your child time to learn how to properly use their bathroom. They should know how to use the bathroom on their own within 2 years or less. However, some kids take longer. If your child can’t use the bathroom on their own by age 5, there might be an underlying condition that is preventing them from doing this basic function. If this is the situation, get them diagnosed to make sure everything is okay. Once you teach your 2-year-old these skills they will be off to a good start in life.