Parents desire to see their child grow up to be kind people. Mother of two and entrepreneur Milena Djankovic believes that the toddler years are the best time to teach them about good values. The “terrible twos” stage is challenging because this is the period when a child starts learning about their freedom and the rules that they need to follow. This is also the time when they begin to understand ownership and the power of their “yes” or “no.”
During this stage, children imitate and follow the examples of the people they trust—their parents. This can be seen in how quick they are in picking up words and actions that they see from the adults around them. Milena Djankovic shares some of the positive qualities moms and dads can pass on to their little ones.
Honesty: As they continue to discover the world around them, Milena Djankovic advises fellow parents to teach their toddlers to be truthful. To teach honesty, adults must model this first to their child. Moms and dads should also encourage their child to tell the truth even when they make a mistake. When they do something wrong and choose to tell the truth, the parents should stay calm so they won’t be scared to communicate their side.
Generosity: Milena Djankovic understands that being generous starts at home. Before expecting a child to share toys with other kids in the playground, they must first practice this with their parents or siblings. Generosity enables a child to enjoy more of the good things with others. While it might take a while for a child to understand that sharing is caring, parents must affirm every little step until it becomes a habit for them.
Compassion: This can be challenging to teach. At this stage when a child starts to say “mine,” parents must show them that there are other people around them, according to Milena Djankovic. Compassion also starts at home. Understanding a person’s emotions, choosing not to say hurtful words, and affirming a child’s feelings are some of the ways to show compassion. For some parents, however, taking care of a pet seems to be a good way to introduce this virtue.
Gratitude: Milena Djankovic, as a mom, knows that gratitude can go a long way even when things are tough. When they receive gifts from others or when someone does a good deed for them, teaching a toddler to say “thank you” is a good start. Of course, being grateful should go beyond words. Milena Djankovic motivates her little ones to return the favor by doing a good deed to the person who showed kindness to them.
Patience: In life, you will not always get what you want. For Milena Djankovic, this is something that can be tricky to convey to a child. However, parents can start by teaching them about patience. Toddlers should be taught that delayed gratification is not a bad thing. Instead, they should understand that receiving good things take time. Some parents recommend the classic marshmallow test to convey this lesson. However, moms and dads can also teach this lesson by training a child to do something else such as reading and games before giving them the freedom to do what they want.
RockerMama president and co-founder Milena Djankovicoffers a practical solution to this challenging and confining task of motherhood –The Ready Rocker™. The patent-pending, innovative product liberates mothers from the confines of the nursery, offering them the luxury of rocking their babies virtually anywhere. For more inspiring insights and aids to motherhood, visit this page.
