Toddlers are some of the cutest, funniest, most adventurous, and creative humans on the planet. The time spent beginning to navigate through life is vital for their development. During that time, toddlers are learning to differentiate between what’s right and wrong, discovering and exploring the big world around them. If you want to help your children in this journey, consider toddler daycare services in Mclean, VA.
Understanding The Importance of Daycare
The concept of daycare itself is a very important facet of a child’s life. In most cases, its purpose is purely utilitarian: children are enrolled to be watched and cared for while the parents are at work. However, it has moved far beyond simply being a place to leave your kids while you earn your paycheck.
In fact, daycare is also a place for your toddler to practice their socialization skills. These skills are very valuable, giving your toddler exposure to peers and a first feeling for what it means to interact with peers. Babies and young toddlers will experience parallel play, where they will play beside each other. This type of activity will eventually turn into associative play, in which the toddlers will actually play together and with each other.
At this stage, your child begins to learn how to engage with other children, participating in activities that teach them how to share, take turns, and so on. Your toddler will also learn what they can and cannot do to their peers, and that actions like pushing, shoving, hitting, or being too rough are not accepted. By learning to play together, your toddler their friends will be able to explore the world around them together and in a social environment.
This socialization is crucial for your toddler’s development. When babies are born and until they learn otherwise, they are egocentric: they believe that they are the center of the world. That character trait is not inherently this early in life, but it takes socialization for your toddler to see that relationships are important and how they help them better function in society.
Learning how to connect with others isn’t just important for a toddler, but throughout life. For any adult, understanding how to relate and form relationships is a vital skill both professionally and personally. When you lack those skills, you may suffer from anxiety or depression because you feel out of place and awkward.
How Daycares Can Foster Learning
Beginning to understand how to play with other children is not the only skill your toddler learns while in daycare. In addition, they will also get an opportunity to learn. By attending daycare, your child will be presented with new situations in which they are able to use their imagination and creativity. Your little ones will be introduced to the alphabet, colors, shapes, and numbers.
Even more importantly, they will get to experience these new facts and slowly be able to comprehend them in their own, personal way. No two people learn exactly the same way, which is true both for adults and toddlers. As they’re exposed to new information, toddler will begin to make these crucial connections and form memories in their own way.
Patience is required. Some toddlers absorb certain concepts more easily than others. That’s why you need a staff that will work with your toddler, helping to provide them with individual support if needed. At the same time, the emphasis should always be on the toddler being able to discover and learn new information on their own. Especially as toddlers grow into pre-school children, they will be more independent in learning new concepts.
Finding and Connecting With an Educated Staff
The previous paragraph hints at another truth about daycare: the staff matters to your toddler’s success and happiness. You should only put your toddler into a daycare from which you get a good feeling. As a parent or caregiver, you are understandably particular about where your child should go and how they should be treated, and relying on your intuition and knowledge is crucial.
A good indication of the quality of potential daycares is the staff. When you meet staff members who are pleasant and provide a loving, friendly, supportive environment, your child will directly benefit. Too often, employees who are unhappy can emit negative signals to not only the parents, but also to the children they watch. Toddlers in particular are very susceptible to picking up on these signals and emotions.
Providing a light-hearted and friendly atmosphere, on the other hand, will make your child feel happy and safe, which is especially important the first few times you drop off your little one. Children will pick up on your own emotions, so when you are positive and content about leaving your toddler in good care, they will feeling the same way.
Quality staff is evident not just by their attitude, but also their education. A well-trained staff working with children, CPR, first aid, positive language, and emergency preparedness means that you can feel good leaving your child in the capable hands of its caregivers.
Getting Your Child On The Right Path
A love of learning begins at a very young age and by putting your child in daycare, you will help foster that love. A safe environment that promotes interaction, creativity, learning, and imagination will provide immense benefits for your little one. Getting your toddler familiar with social interactions will allow them to not only learn how to play with others, but how to build relationships with their peers. After they are no longer in need of daycare, they can transition seamlessly into pre-school and beyond.
Thanks to an education that isn’t simply situated within your own four walls, your child will learn more organically. Even young toddlers will be able to discover new concepts and information on their own, which will make what they learn even more meaningful.
Daycare is more than just a place to leave your toddler while you go to work. It’s a nurturing environment that will help your toddler learn and grow. To learn more about how we can help your child, please call Brooksfield School today.
