Ever gone into a nursery and wondered. How in the world does the teachers manage so many toddlers?
I must admit, I’ll be the first one to raise both hands in surrender. A caretaker of many toddlers must have some more than a little magical dust in their pockets to keep them at bay and not be overwhelmed by them after half an hour. Every time one starts to cry or whine, she will reach for that dust to sprinkle on the child. If I were the nursery teacher, I would definitely be need a truck load of dust parked right outside the nursery. Cynical talks aside, here’s are some of the tips I optained from some very seasoned “magicians”
1. Toddlers need eye contact and personal touch. Allow yourself 10 or 15 minutes of exclusive time to talk to them and settle them at the beginning of any play session. After which, leave them to their creativity and space.
2. Create a save space for them to explore. Gate of an area and leave some save toys will keep them happy
3. Always assure them that you are only a shout away. This makes them feel safe.
4. Have different “sets of toys” for everyday of the week. Do not bring out the same toys back to back. Waiting and anticipation will get them excited about the toy.
5. Love them unconditionally. Most of the time, they need more love than expansive toys.
6. Finally, the most important rule; Children love discipline (even if they don’t know it). They thrive on receiving rules and order. This makes them feel safe especially if they have friends or siblings who are rough or unruly. In fact this is a very important rule.
More later!
* baby listen *
