After spending 15 months with your baby, you probably think that you are used to your child’s constant demands for attention. However, while babies can be demanding, it is at this age that children really start to actively seek out your attention.
Your toddler is a very busy little person, and whereas your baby may have slept a fair amount of the day, your child now has two main interests during his or her waking hours: his or her toys, and you.
Your child may be finding his or her independence, but they still want the reassurance that mummy is there, and that you can be depended on. That’s why your child seeks you out when you move out of eyesight for more than a few minutes, and why you’re likely to have your toddler tugging on your sleeve a lot, demanding that you come and see what they are doing.
During this phase of development, your child is going to d just about anything he or she can to get your attention. That means whining, mimicking your behaviour, shouting, and laughing.
It is how you react that determines which behaviours will dominate. For instance, if you ignore whining, but respond to laughing, your child will learn that being happy is more likely to get mummy’s attention. Therefore, you will see more laughter!
Enrol your child in a playgroup or preschool, where his or her independence will come into play more and make sure that you are paying your child enough attention. In the mean time, realise that the attention seeking is not naughtiness – it is just another developmental phase.
Your toddler is a very busy little person, and whereas your baby may have slept a fair amount of the day, your child now has two main interests during his or her waking hours: his or her toys, and you.
Your child may be finding his or her independence, but they still want the reassurance that mummy is there, and that you can be depended on. That’s why your child seeks you out when you move out of eyesight for more than a few minutes, and why you’re likely to have your toddler tugging on your sleeve a lot, demanding that you come and see what they are doing.
During this phase of development, your child is going to d just about anything he or she can to get your attention. That means whining, mimicking your behaviour, shouting, and laughing.
It is how you react that determines which behaviours will dominate. For instance, if you ignore whining, but respond to laughing, your child will learn that being happy is more likely to get mummy’s attention. Therefore, you will see more laughter!
Enrol your child in a playgroup or preschool, where his or her independence will come into play more and make sure that you are paying your child enough attention. In the mean time, realise that the attention seeking is not naughtiness – it is just another developmental phase.