Welcome to the 2003 Toddler Topics, a learn-at-home newsletter series for parents of young children. Toddler Topics is created by Penn State Cooperative Extension Family Living Agents.

What kind of a teenager would you like? The toddler you see today will be the teenager of tomorrow. Put some thought into your child's character development today. The values you instill today can make for an easier tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Lynn B. Clint
Extension Agent - Family and Consumer Sciences

For more information, contact us at:
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Erie County
850 East Gore Road, Erie, PA 16509-3798
Phone: (814) 825-0900; Fax: (814) 825-4783

SIMPLE STEPS FOR POSITIVE PARENTING
Jan Crudden, Healthy Communities Partnership
of Greater Franklin County

Every child is unique and parenting can be difficult. Every parent would like to know how to be a better parent. "Developmental Assets" introduced by the Search Institute is a framework that gives good practical advice for parents. The framework outlines forty assets or experiences, interactions, skills and values, which make a difference in the lives of children. Children and teenagers who have a lot of assets get involved in fewer at-risk behaviors - the kinds of problems parents worry about. On the other hand, children are more likely to become caring and responsible adults when they experience more assets as they are growing up.

The forty assets are divided into eight categories. Listed below are the eight categories and specific suggestions to try.

1. Support and love your child. Loving touch means a lot. Hug your child. Use loving words. Be loving toward yourself and others in the family. Children learn how to love themselves by seeing how their parents act.
   
   
2. Empower your child. Empowerment is the sense that you can make a difference and that you have a valued place or role. Give children simple chores, such as sorting laundry by color or matching socks.
   
   
3. Set clear and realistic boundaries and expectations. Boundaries give clear messages about what's expected. Without boundaries toddlers may feel unsure and confused.
   
   
4. Help your child use his or her time in meaningful constructive ways.
   
   

5. Encourage your child to develop a commitment to learning, even before they start school. Think of each day as a new day to learn. Read to toddlers every day.

6. Develop positive values in your child.

7. Teach your child how to get along with others.

8. Encourage your child to feel good about himself or herself.

   Love your child no matter what. Point out what she or he does right and praise them. Listen to your child. Spend time with your child.
   

   
   

TEMPERAMENT TRAITS
. . . NOW WHAT?
(Second in a Six-Part Series)
Denise Continenza
Lehigh County

In the last issue, we discussed children with a high activity level. Let's talk now about a child who may not adapt well to new or strange situations. This may be a particular challenge for a parent who is a real get-up-and-go, easy-to-shift gears type of a person.

Children who rank high on the rating scale for adaptability have a hard time making transitions. This may be from one activity to another while at play or moving from playtime to bath time at home. Going to social gatherings may be very stressful for this child as one adult after another may want to hold the child, or other children attempt to engage him or her in play. Parents need to think ahead when planning routines or events for a child who needs time to adjust.

As adults we tend to move fast. We look at the clock and suddenly realize that we need to be at the party in twenty minutes, so off we want to go. For some children, this would work just fine. But for others, this is a recipe for disaster. Some children need "buffer time" or a warning that things will be changing soon. Parents need to be conscious of this if they have a child who does not adapt well to change. Tell the child that in ten minutes, the family will be leaving for the party at grandma's house. Give another warning at five minutes then at one minute. This allows the child to prepare for the change and to finish up whatever they have been doing.

Slow to adapt personalities do not burst through the front door and announce, "I'm here!" They are more likely to prefer a low profile and make their entrance quietly. Parents can assist their child with entering new situations by supporting her at these times. Instead of forcing her to say hello or go play with the other children, parents can allow the child to linger with them until she feels ready to venture on her own. Gentle encouragement and helping others to understand that she is not ready to talk or play helps the child to feel accepted and understood. People who find transition difficult are usually very focused on what they are doing and take their work seriously.

………….................................…………FAMILY FUN………................................………………

Boxed Up Fun
Mary Ann K. Oyler, Franklin County

Let's Talk: Empty boxes of all sizes are readily available, and provide hours of enriching play.
Encourage children to think of creative ways to play with boxes. The possibilities are endless!

Tunnel Ahead: Check with local retailers for a large appliance box, and allow your child to paint/decorate the inside and outside of the box. Cut a hole in both ends, and let your child ride their tricycles "through the tunnel."

Milk Blocks: Empty milk or juice boxes make sturdy building blocks. Wash them out well when empty. Open the tops of both boxes, and slide one box inside the other (tops together). Start a collection that can be used to create towers, castles, roadways, etc.

Ship Ahoy: Select a cardboard box large enough to hold one or two children. Help them transform the box into a "boat." Add paper sails, cardboard oars and an anchor. Let the children paint and decorate the outside as desired. Happy sailing!

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BE BRAVE - TAKING KIDS SHOPPING
Debra A. Gregory, Huntingdon and Mifflin Counties

The thought of going to the grocery store with a preschooler may bring up horror stories. However, shopping with your young child is a great way to teach good manners and self-discipline skills. These skills will give them confidence in other situations. Visiting stores also can help with color identification and easy math concepts.

When shopping, remember that you are a role model for your child. Children are watching and listening as you plan and prepare to shop, interact with salespersons, and even as you put items away at home.

First, plan and prepare for your shopping trips by limiting the number of trips or stores that you visit. Make a shopping list, and have any coupons clipped to the list. Children can help find items by saving labels, and gluing them on a large piece of paper. Make sure that you and your child have eaten before going shopping. Take along an extra snack for the kids.

Next, shopping is a great time to use the words "please" and "thank you." Your children will see how you respect other people and how they respond.

Some stores have special promotional items and activities for children. Make sure these are appropriate for your child's participation. Cart riding safety is a big concern for you (and other shoppers!). Take time to make sure your children are buckled up!

You can use a shopping trip as a learning experience for toddlers when you let them choose between two items to be purchased. You may let them pay the clerk for the one item that they selected. Preschoolers understand that money is exchanged for items, but they don't understand the value of money.

Playing "grocery store" with cans and boxes has always been a popular activity for children. You can shop at the child's store and then talk about it. Having good experiences when shopping with their parents will make their play a real learning activity!

A book to read with your children is Just Shopping with Mom by Mercer Mayer, about a mother shopping with three kids, one who has trouble accepting "no" as an answer.

BABY TALK: INFANT BABBLING ENCOURAGES
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Joan Cook, Berks County

Infant cooing and babbling are the beginnings of language development. For this babbling to develop into words, babies need to hear a parent's spoken words. As adults, we tend to use specific voice inflections and phrases when we direct
our speech to infants. We call it "baby talk." We use a higher pitched voice, exaggerate the range of pitch, and we distinctively pronounce each word in short phrases. In turn, babies pick up an amazing amount of knowledge about language and communication just from hearing baby talk.

Studies indicate that infants prefer to hear baby talk, which holds their attention longer than regular speech. This encourages a babbling response from the infant, and creates a warm interaction between parent and infant. Endearing, emotional baby talk and the fluctuation of voice helps the infant to relate to parents and his surroundings.

As the child approaches his first birthday, adjusting language to more information-laden language will aid the development of complex language skills, and encourage a better understanding of work meanings. Continual exposure to language, the more the better, leads to greater language skills as the child gets older. Especially effective is the language that describes action, items, places, emotions and asks questions. Children who hear more spoken language tend to use more words sooner and comprehend language better, a benefit throughout their school years. It is not necessary to teach specific speech concepts and skills to very young children, but do enrich them with caring, informative language every day.

WHOLE GRAINS
Denise A. Talko, MS, RD
Bucks County

Not all bread is created equal. Whole grain breads are higher in fiber and certain nutrients than white breads. Whole grain products (breads, cereals, rice, pastas, etc.) can be found at your local market. Look for "whole grain" (wheat, oat, rye) on the ingredient list or "100% whole grain" on the label. Breads that are brown in color are not necessarily whole grains. Some bread is colored to be brown. Introduce your children to whole grains now so that they are familiar with them.

This publication is available in alternative media on request.

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