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It is a child’s nature to be inquisitive. As mom there are days when their questions seem endless.  When there was given the assignment, they tried to count how many questions could ask in a day.  Kids really have inquiring minds!

Questions are a sign of intellectual curiosity.  They are golden opportunities for parents and teachers to teach children all kinds of things, from facts to family values.  Questions are also a child’s attempt to bond, share and interact with adults.  Through his questions, a parent can have a better understanding of a child’s thoughts, fears and feelings.

Answer simple questions with direct, factual answers at a level appropriate to your child’s age.  Avoid restating the question as a response.  Instead of providing answers to some questions, offer concrete and tangible things like pictures and real objects.  Encourage thinking skills through brainstorming or consideration of alternative explanations.  You can help your child write down all the possible answers then later decide which ones are more logical and which ones are bound for the trash can.

Making friends helps a toddler learn to communicate and express him. To make friends, the child needs to talk. If the prospective friend speaks a different language, the child even tries to speak his language.

Toddlers who aren’t fluent yet in speech and who rely on their parents and caregiver’s ability to understand their body language and make shift vocabulary would be encouraged to improve their communication skills in the midst of friends who can speak well.

Sharing among friends is unnatural to a toddler. For him, it is all about me and mine. Toddlers cannot be expected to share their toys and food and other mines out of the generosity of their hearts. They will also not learn to lend and borrow among themselves. It is up to the parents and caregivers to teach them. Make sure your child has a healthy sense of self confidence. By your example, show him the benefits of sharing. Encourage, but never force him to share.

Despite being seemingly shallow, friendships help develop a child’s self esteem. Friends are an audience for showing off. A child will push another child. When the other child fumbles or falls, he realized that he is stronger than that other child is. The child feels good that his strength is affirmed.

Friends provide the toddler with a competitive environment. The child gets positive reinforcement when he thinks he has the best toy in the playgroup, or when he is the tallest or the strongest, or when he always gets his way.

However, competition with friends can adversely affect a toddler’s self esteem if he is always the last, the smallest or the weakest. If he is not competitive by nature or he doesn’t get enough reinforcement, the child who is placed in such situation repeatedly, or maybe even just once, will probably cope by staying away. He will not want to be with those friends again. He may even refuse to go out or be with any other playmate for some time and retreat to the comforts of playing alone or with mommy or daddy in his own backyard.