Growing to greatness!

Toddlers- Such a tiny package of humanity, and yet so full of emotion, energy, creativity, and curiosity! It's an exciting time of increased imagination and emotional awareness. At 18-24 months old, your toddler will likely begin some early pretend play, such as acting like a favorite animal or using a banana to try to brush their hair like mommy does with her brush. Due to this increase in imaginative skills, parents may also see the first signs of night mares and "monsters under the bed". 

It's a great time to begin group activities with your child, if you haven't done so already. At this stage, your toddler is much more aware of other children and will interact with words and gestures while playing in a group setting. Your toddler is also beginning to discover more types of emotions, such as jealousy, sympathy, guilt, and fear. That makes this a great age to begin talking about body language, facial expressions, and the feelings that go with them.

•Grab a mirror for some face making fun.

•See who can find different facial expressions when reading a book.

•Talk about how you or your child feels and why. This will give them a better understanding of healthy emotional expression.