Your toddler will take some time to learn new words and form meaningful sentences. And until then it might take some time for you to understand what they are trying to say. And let’s be honest, there’s only so much you can understand from their cooing and babbling. But put it into words and life becomes so much easier. Here are 10 powerful words to teach your toddler that can be life-changing in a mom’s life.
10. Gentle
This is a tough word to teach your toddler. It may take some repeating and patience from your side for them to grasp the meaning of the word. You can ask them to practice gentleness by petting a cat or a puppy. Give a vase or a crystal showpiece for them to hold and take care for some time and ask them to be gentle and not break it.
9. Breakable
At a young age, their curious mind will want to hold and play with everything that catches their attention. And taking them shopping or to a friend’s house can be a struggle. Once you are able to explain the concept of breakable, you will be able to explain to them why they can’t hold or play with certain things.
8. Private Parts
There is no right time to start the conversation about inappropriate touching. But one thing is for sure: the earlier the better. It’s never too early to talk about private parts, and what’s right and what’s not. Teach them about personal and private areas of their body. This can help them identify what’s appropriate and what’s not.
7. Room Time
Imagine telling a 3 or 4-year old, “Why don’t you go and play alone?” But how many times did you have that phrase at the tip of your tongue? Instead of telling your kid to go and play by themselves, designate a term for it – Room time. This is going to make your life much simpler when you have a newborn to take care of or if you need some quiet time by yourself.
6. Rest
Mommy and daddy do need their rest. Not even a nap, just some quiet time to lie down and relax. And when toddlers see that you are not either sleeping or playing, they wouldn’t understand why you can’t play with them. So it’s important to teach this word way early on.
5. Freeze
Your kid probably knows the word ‘stop.’ But whenever you yell it out, they do just the opposite. Teach your kid a little game called ‘Freeze.’ You can run, play, move around, and dance. But when you say the word ‘freeze’ they have to stop right where they are. Play this game frequently and appreciate them when they listen to you.
4. No Thanks!
Kids can be mean. Kids can be rough. They can push, pull, snatch, take your kid’s toy, or do something unfriendly. And instead of yelling out something harsh and rude, isn’t it better if you teach them the phrase, ‘No, thanks.’ This way they will be able to gain some control without coming off as rude to the other person.
3. Healthy
‘Mommy, can I have this?’ ‘Mommy, can I have that?’ ‘Mommy, I want this for breakfast every day.’ And if your answer is no every single time, your kid should be able to understand the reason behind it. Obviously, you can’t give them sugary snacks and fast food all the time, but they have no clue why. So teach them what’s healthy and what’s not to grasp the reason behind it.
2. Personal Space
Imagine a 3-year-old climbing over you when you are trying to breastfeed your baby. It could be because they want your attention or simply out of boredom. But teaching them about personal space could bring a world of difference in a mom’s life.
1. Privacy
My son didn’t want an audience when we were potty training. Somehow he understood that it’s private business. This made it easier for me to teach him about privacy. So whenever I want to use the bathroom or change my clothes, I would tell him that mommy wants some privacy and he would understand.
Are there any more words that made your life easy as a mommy? Feel free to share with us and help out fellow mommies!