For my little abbietot, I am trying to find ways to make her feel so loved and adored. I am investing a lot in her emotional development. This means playing with her daily, telling bedtime stories (even inventing some), listening to her and literally being with her. What else? Adjusting my schedule, prioritizing our play time, devoting my weekends to her, setting up a “hapi day” (a bonding time for the whole family), and a lot more! As a toddler, she is already capable of surprisingly deep and intense emotions which include feelings of fear, anger as well as heights of joy and excitement! She knows how to communicate how she feels but seems to be “melting down” every time we refuse to give what she demands (something perfectly normal for her stage)
A strong emotional foundation is what I am aiming at. We have a long way to go since this developmental task is normally achieved by the end of preschool years. When she enters school, she must be prepared for more complex emotions like feelings of pride, embarrassment, guilt and others. So as parents, we are faced with a great challenge. We have to know how significant our role is. We can’t just watch our child grow and be silent observers or viewers. We have to be in charge!
I know that abbie’s relationship with me as her mother and her relationship with her father, grandparents, and the rest of the family will affect all aspects of her development - intellectual, social, emotional, physical, behavioral and moral. The quality of relationships will lay foundation for a wide range of later developmental outcomes that really matter like self-confidence, motivation to learn, achievement in school, and empathy for others.
With this knowledge, I am motivated to take more seriously the kind of relationship I have with my baby (oh she’s no longer a baby), my little girl! Undoubtedly, making time with the things that matter most in life should be a priority!
