7 Life Skills to Teach your Toddler

Teaching your toddler life skills is an important part of ensuring his growth and development. These skills help him learn how to handle real life situations and get practical lessons that help him as he grows up. But how exactly do you get started?
Keep reading to discover the 7 most important life skills you need to teach your toddler.

Cleanliness & Hygiene
Your kid is never too young to learn about personal hygiene- from brushing his teeth every night before going to bed to changing his underwear everyday. Make sure your kid understand the importance of staying clean and tidy. Also, remember to take it easy and realize that your kid may not do it all together in a single go- it takes time to develop and stick to healthy habits.

Saving Money
Yes, you read that right. Even if your child is just a toddler, he needs to learn about money management. Help him understand how to save money, and most importantly, why to. A lot of adults tend to have trouble managing money, and if you get your little one to master this skill at an early stage, it can really help him tackle money issues effortlessly when he’s older.

Making a Sandwich
Oh yes! Now’s the right time to get your little one into the kitchen- even if it is just to layer his sandwich with veggies or to squirt out the ketchup from the bottle. Getting your little one to learn basic cooking skills (and just being more involved in the kitchen) is again, super important. With time, your little one will become more confident in the kitchen, and will be more independent as he grows up.

Cleaning their Room
Just like keeping himself clean, your toddler needs to learn how to keep his surroundings clean too. Get him to do simple tasks around the house such as gathering all his toys and putting them in the toy basket or arranging his books in the book shelf- just about anything. You could even create a weekly task list for him to accomplish.

Getting Ready
Believe it or not, your toddler can actually learn to get ready on his own- if you help him get the hang of it. You can start by getting some flashcards and teaching him how to put on a shirt and then take it further. Lay out his clothes to make the task easier for him. Give it a try a few times and then eventually, you won’t even have to help him anymore.

Communication
Effective communication starts early, and while different children have different learning speeds when it comes to this, you, as a parent, need to get your toddler to start learning it as early as you can. Get him to respond to what is being asked, and spend some time everyday helping him strengthen his communication skills- not just with you, but also with those around him.

Independent Play
Your toddler is now ready to keep himself engaged and learn how to play on his own, without needing you to be present all the time. You might need to get some puzzles and games to do this better, but once he’s into it, there’s no turning back. Encourage your little one to try different activities like coloring and painting, sticking and even reading- all on his own, without your supervision.

Try to incorporate these life skills intentionally into your child’s daily routine, and pretty soon, he’ll learn how to work on them! Remember that every child is blessed with different abilities- some may pick up things quickly while others may take time. Don’t judge your child. Just go with the flow and love him throughout it all.

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