Toys are Tools!

Toys are Tools!
Dr. Suni Petersen

The use of tools distinguishes humans from most other species. The reason tools are so important is that they extend the abilities to do tasks. For example, to get something that is beyond our grasp, we typically grab the closest object that will extend our reach. Have you ever thought about how and when this skill is developed?
Toys are tools! And toys are developmentally appropriate educate best. If you place a cookie out of reach on the high chair tray and a spoon within reach, a 10-month old will try to get the cookie with her hand and push the spoon away. But give that baby two more months and she will pick up the spoon to help herself reach the cookie.
Now thinking of the task of grasping the cookie, it takes the dexterity to bring the spoon and the cookie together (educating the child in skill development), the knowledge to determine that the cookie is out of reach (educating the child in spatial relationships), and the association between the spoon and the cookie (educating the child in cognitive development).
Success requires two things: Practice and providing the right toy at the right time. A parent hardly has time to do the spoon and cookie routine to give the child the practice she needs to succeed in this developmental step. But the concept is that a tool actually adds another step for the child to consider - hand (1) to cookie (2) changes when a tool is used to hand (1), spoon (2), to cookie (3). A tool adds an additional step.
Toys that allow the child to do a task over and over and over provide the necessary practice. Put and take toys help to prepare for this skill but only function as the hand (1) dropping the object into a box and getting the object out again (2). This put and take routine prepares a child for the next stage. One such toy that offers this preparatory educational experience is the “Shape Sorter.” To develop the child’s use of tools requires a toy with another step. For example, “Animal Cottage” (www.toyconnex.com) is an example of a toy that develops the use of tools. The child inserts keys to open a door in order to get to the animals inside. However, if this toy is given to a child at 10 months old, she will not be able to get to the toys herself and will become frustrated. In that stage of development, the keys are seen as interfering or another task entirely. By the time she is able to associate the keys with the reward inside (2 months later), the toy has already frustrated the child and she is less likely to use it. If a child is given such a toy at 10 months, it is considered a “pairing toy,” one that can only be played with an older sibling or adult. Such pairing may facilitate quicker development of the skill but not by much because the baby is too young to cognitively make the full association that will hold her interest when she is ready.
Different toys make educational sense at different ages!

Jeepers Creepers: She’s crawling!

PREPARING FOR A VISIT FROM A CRAWLING BABY - Usually between birth and 10 months – babies are really on the move! It requires remarkable brain development and muscle coordination to accomplish this task – no wonder the child on the move is so pleased! Babies need to coordinate the movement of their arms and legs, and develop the muscle strength in their arms, shoulders, and legs to support their weight. While a child this age is usually watched very closely, in the conversation during a visit and adults unused to the child’s speedy progress, it is better to prepare the house in small ways that make a visit much more pleasant and safe. Things to prepare for this visit include:
1. Clean your floors – it is amazing at such close range, how many little pieces of lint or string or seed or anything that defies discovery by older eyes remain even after a good vacuuming. Put your glasses on to give yourself a chance.
2. Pad sharp corners using duck tape and flexible ¼ in foam found in sewing centers. Cut the foam in small pieces, fold several times, and tape to the corners of coffee tables, legs of furniture if cornered. Get low to the ground to see where the potential rough spots are.
3. Place barriers in front of stairs, even a small step into another room can cause a tumble. If the child visits you fairly frequently, child gates may be a good investment because crawling is only the first step.
4. Invest in electrical socket covers and install them on all lower unused sockets.
5. To encourage crawling and enjoy the child’s new discoveries, place safe toys that a child can manipulate in tiny hands just out of arm’s reach. If the child is beginning her new movements with backwards crawling, place toys in front to attract her attention, but then leave a few that can be discovered as she crawls backwards. In this way the child will not be so frustrated with lack of progress.
6. Have fun observing the child’s unique way of learning this major developmental task, guessing what style she is using. Here are a few:
• The “I’ll Have the Usual”: This is the classic crawl—alternating hand on one side and knee on the other to go, go, go.
• The “Crab”—Just like at the beach, the “crab” bends one knee and extends the opposite leg to scoot forward.
• The “Commando”—Look out, this crawler lies flat on her belly and drags herself forward using her arms.
• The “Rolling Wonder”—Who needs to crawl when rolling gets me where I need to go?
• The “Take It in Stride” Kid—Some children skip crawling and go right to walking. No time to waste—here I come!

Research on Grandparents: Participants needed

I am conducting a study on grandparenting roles.
If you are a grandparent, you are eligible; if not please forward to any people you know who are grandparents. Here is the url.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fuv6_2bE3QZeAAQwCk1CnlWg_3d_3d

Cut and paste it into the address bar.
Thanks for your assistance in recognizing this under-investigated area of relationships.

Suni Petersen, Ph.D.

New Product teaches a child Financial Saavy

It is never to early to teach a child about money management?

Preschoolers: More is better and all money is equal in their minds. Therefore, giving the child 100 pennies is better than giving $1. They can then divide the money into spending, saving or giving. At this age the idea of investing holds no premium because they are totally present centered. Even if it were the same amount, coins are more valued than bills.

Early school age: It is actually not until 7 or 8 that a child completely grasps the idea of different values for the money yet even as early as preschool, the child can be taught to discriminate between the different values of money. If you give money with the idea of teaching the child the different uses (saving, spending, donating, investing) split the money into different amounts, i.e. 10% for savings means giving a dime within every dollar so the consequence of using money for different goals is immediate.

Older elementary age children: Children at this age are naturally competitive. They can be involved in goal-setting and choose the percentages that are earmarked for each use. Then make frequent checks on their progress to their goals. Self-monitoring is one of the best ways to encourage or change a particular behavior. Children this age who are learning basic math could keep a log or an excell file of their financial growth in each of the areas.

Adolescents and pre-adolescents: This is the age to begin to focus on investments. Young people can learn how to manage stocks, bonds, commodity trading. Buy stock (even just a share or two) and have them track it over time. Disney stock still offers stock certificates that are decorated with their characters. Watch their excitement when you choose companies that make items they use, stressing that they now own a part of the company.

The concept of donating to someone less fortunate can be introduced at any age to encourage sharing. The younger the child, the more concrete the donation should be so the child gets the emotional sense of the gift.

The newest version of the piggy bank is actually a finance organizer. The pig has separate "stomachs" marked "save", "spend", "donate" and "invest." Each section is locked. It comes with financial advice. You can get this money organizer by checking out www.toyconnex.com.

Sunny Spot: First long visit to Grandma's alone

Sunny Spot: First long visit to Grandma's alone

First long visit to Grandma's alone

My two granddaughers (age 3 and 5) have just spent 5 days at my house without their parents. We were all concerned about them missing their parents, especially the younger girl. The only time that seemed to be really difficult was the few minutes after their parents' nightly call. The secret was keeping them very busy with new things to do. I decided to play up this "first" visit as a series of firsts... their first real hike (a long walk), their first drive along the California coast, their first swim in the ocean. We took pictures to record every one of these firsts. On the last day before flying them home, we printed the pictures, glued them on construction paper and used their words to describe the pictures, creating an album from a binder with transparent sleeves. The documentation served to remind them of their experiences and to instill a sense of continuity for the next visit. Planning the album with the picture-taking all week long so they could share their experience with Mommy and Daddy gave them a sense of the visit being time-limited and kept the connection to home.
Suni

How to talk to a 2 yr old on the phone

While two-years olds love to talk to someone on the phone, their attention span is short and they seldom respond. And when they do respond, it is difficult to understand their words over the phone. Here are a few tips to talk to a toddler. I'd like to hear yours as well.

How do you keep the conversation going?
1. Sing a song and ask him/her to sing along. The alphabet song teaches them their A-B-C's as well.
2. Count to ten with the child.
3. Ask them what sounds different animals make.
4. Play with their imagination: Ask where they are ticklish going through different parts of the body, for example "Is your tummy ticklish? Is your leg ticklish? Is your neck ticklish? The buildup usually has them laughing althougth they may not answer. Then make tickling sounds until they giggle.
5. Imagine together that you and the child are doing something together - like flying like a birdie. For example, "First we must bend down and then move our arms and then go up in the air... etc."
6. Ask them what colors different items are that they can see from where they are standing. (Take this from your memory).

Most importantly use your natural voice, not baby-talk and real but very simple words.
Suni