month 22:

Refining motor skills

Greetings

When toddlers move their arms, legs, and other major body parts, they are developing their gross motor skills. They're also developing their brains. In fact, your child’s gross motor skill development is a major predictor of their school readiness. Basically, as they develop and refine abilities such as walking and throwing, they're also developing their cognitive abilities, because these activities make complementary parts of the brain work together. Below we have a couple of suggestions to help your child begin refining their motor skills.

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Activities that you can do

Here are a couple of activities that you can try with your toddler this month to start refining some of their motor skills.

1. Throwing overhand

You've probably seen your toddler throw the occasional spoon, bowl, or toy. This is the age when children naturally develop enough strength and coordination in their arms to do a very basic overhand throw, and they like to explore their new superpower. You can encourage them by throwing a small lightweight ball or beanbag with them. Throw the ball to them slowly overhand, then watch as they imitate you in throwing it back. Don’t expect your toddler to catch at this age—they're still too young to practice catching a ball.

2. Mopping the floor

As your toddler watches you clean the house, they may show an interest in helping you. Give them a child-size floor mop or a wet cloth and show them how to mop the floor. Mopping requires that they engage all of their limbs and muscles. When you're finished, be sure to dry the floor with a towel to make sure it isn’t slippery.

Remember: If your child begins to fuss or cry during an activity, it might be a sign that they're hungry or need a rest.

Tips for your own self-care

The toddler years are full of big feelings that can feel overwhelming, not just for the child but for Mom and Dad too! The best way to coach our children on how to manage anger is to model healthy ways to express our feelings. Yoga-inspired breathing and movement techniques, like Lion’s Breath (taking a deep breath and exhaling fiercely) or a simple forward fold (stand with legs apart and slowly bend forward and sway until your hands touch the ground) will help you feel calmer, and they're easy enough for your toddler to learn too.

Things to watch for this month

These are some of the things that you might see your toddler do this month:

Throwing overhand
Squatting to roll and catch a ball

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Disclaimer: The activities provided in this newsletter are for educational purposes only. If you choose to proceed, do so with caution and at your own risk.

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