The funnest parts of yesterday with the toddlers. An 18-month old actually helped me clean up the sandbox!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220245)
Walnut Creek, California
January 15, 2022 11:26am CST
My "girlfriend." 22-month-old Savannah, was not there yesterday. She's the one whose daddy recently "left the house."
But I got to spend a lot of special time with three little girls, all of whom are just learning to speak.
My 18-month old, Sophia, woke up early from her nap. I was charged with "taking her outside." I told her we needed to clean up the sandbox. She wobbled over to the sandbox with me, and I gathered up a bunch of plastic shovels and other sand box toys that were on the ground outside the sandbox. .
I modeled throwing a toy into the sandbox, and she and I hit a rhythm. I would hold up two sandbox toys, and say "Do you want the red one or the blue one?"
She would grab one. I would then toss mine into the sandbox and say "I did it!" She would then toss hers into the sandbox and almost say "did!"
After about ten minutes of this joyous game, Nicole and Jacki woke up. They're both about 26-months-old--early twos.
They actually helped me spread the tarp over the sandbox for the weekend.
I find it fascinating how much littlies understand, even when they cannot speak yet.
Were I to wax "intellectual," I'd say that it appears that Wernicke's area of the brain (language comprehension) develops before Broca's area (language production).
But the bottom line is that we all had big happy fun and essentially had a "conversation" without many words.
Toddlers love repetition. It makes them feel safe and efficacious. They also love it when an adult "witnesses" their positive behaviors ("You did it!"). It also leads to attachment with the adult who models predictable behaviors with them, further increasing their sense of safety and reducing cortisol levels.
Do you get the feeling that I enjoy working with toddlers? I don't believe there's such a thing as "terrible twos."
15 people like this
13 responses
@mildredtabitha (16147)
• Nairobi, Kenya
15 Jan 22
I could only imagine how much you enjoyed yourself spending time with the little ones. It's such a joy
3 people like this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Jan 22
@mildredtabitha I hope they need me for at least one or two days next week.
2 people like this
@xander6464 (44417)
• Wapello, Iowa
15 Jan 22
I love repetition. Except when it gets tedious. But some things never get tedious, no matter how often they're repeated. I wonder if I'm a toddler. Or half a toddler.
2 people like this
@xander6464 (44417)
• Wapello, Iowa
16 Jan 22
@TheHorse You'd think so, wouldn't you?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Jan 22
@xander6464 I picked up a kid on Friday and was surprised how light she was.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137636)
• United States
15 Jan 22
I think, if it were possible, you'd solely work with children...
You don't think there's such a thing as the "terrible twos" only because you didn't raise Pretty by yourself. 
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137636)
• United States
15 Jan 22
@TheHorse Most of the time you're getting paid for it... You also "adopt" kids around you, too.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Jan 22
@DaddyEvil Yeah, but Horse Jr. was not here 24/7.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (108144)
• Marion, Ohio
16 Jan 22
You didnt raise my son. I believe in the terrible twos
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (108144)
• Marion, Ohio
16 Jan 22
@TheHorse He threw fits as they worked with both sets of grandparents. Until hedid a lay down screaming one in the store and I joined him doing the same thing
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Jan 22
@wolfgirl569 I've done that! Did he think it was funny?
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@BarBaraPrz (47667)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
15 Jan 22
I get the feeling you enjoy using clinical terminology.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
15 Jan 22
My grandniece I've not yet been able to meet in person, is that same age. She is also learning to talk and identify colors and animals, etc. We get to watch on our family Zoom meetings. We are glad this technology allows us to watch her develop. We saw her learn to crawl, walk and even begin to run a bit. We look forward to meeting her in person
. My younger nephew and his wife were able to go to the family Thanksgiving celebration. We did not feel confident enough to make the trip to Orange County, so we missed it. The next week on Zoom, Nor-Nor comprehended that the people she saw on the screen, her aunt and uncle, were the same people who had played with her on Thanksgiving, and she pointed at them on the screen and as best she could called them by name. I was a bit jealous.
1 person likes this
And your explanations are very interesting too. Not enough of us are given any instruction re parenting but it would be so much better and easier if we were.
@LindaOHio (181642)
• United States
15 Jan 22
You are a very special person with a very special gift.
1 person likes this
