The social toddler - Helen Dorman

A companion title to "The Social Baby", "The Social Toddler" offers the reader an in-depth look at the world of pre-school children through clear text and video-stills.;Much maligned and frequently misunderstood, the toddler years are dreaded by many parents. Toddlers can be seen as wilful, destructive and unco-operative - often a terrible disappointment after what has been delightful babyhood. Parents ask themselves what has gone wrong, and the resulting tension can establish patterns of behaviour in the family that remain until adult life.;How does the toddler view this stage? "The Social Toddler" explains why behaviour patterns emerge and offers simple, effective strategies to diffuse situations that are regularly encountered.;The book further explains how immature minds view the ever expanding world in which they find themselves and shows the reader just how frustrating it is to be at this stage of life. Many of us simply cannot imagine what it must be like to ask but have no language, to reason but with no boundaries, or to explore with no concept of fear.;Toddlers are not wilful, they are endlessly inquisitive. They are not demons, they are only just discovering social interaction and contract with strangers. As "The Social Baby" makes clear, each child is a unique individual living in a unique set of circumstances, and there is not one rule that can be applied to all. By understanding events from the child's perspective, the parent/carer is better able to respond to situations and avoid conflict.;The book covers: role reversal: experience the toddler's world; use of language by parents/adults; development of social skills; importance of learning through play and discovery; peer relationships; separation and reunion; shifting attachment from parent/carer to another; patterns of behaviour - promoting positive/ignoring negative behaviour, techniques for distractions; feeding; and the need for independence and self esteem.