Teaching your child

This parenting stuff is hard and how the heck do you know if you are doing the right thing?

I am very repetitive with Jack but yet - when I am playing with him I do not hold up a ball and say "Blue Ball" a hundred times. How do I know that I am teaching him the right thing? How do I know that he understands what I am saying? Is there any way to go about actually teaching him - or are they just sponges that take everything in?

I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing - and it's so hard not to doubt or second guess yourself.

I don't even know the point of this post - I guess if you have any suggestions on what you do with your child to help them to learn. TIA!

Re: Teaching your child

I read to G a lot. He responds to it well. I also ask him questions. He started answering me at around 10 mos. When we go to the store or do stuff around the house I tell him everything I am doing. I know people look at me like I am crazy but screw em it's my kid I even let him pick out clothing when we shop or toys or whatever. I try to keep him as engaged in what is going on around him as possible.

He is a very interested child, and has been very attentive since his NB stage. I just try to keep him involved.

Re: Teaching your child

i also talk to him about everything, like if we are outdoors i will tell him about the trees or the bugs. I dont hold up stuff and repeat it 100 times, but when we play with his toys, i do say oh theirs the blue car, or the red ball, etc. I also ask questions and inform him of whats happening, e.g like he knows if i tell him its lunch time or milk time, he looks at his highchair or crawls to it. I agree with the above poster to just keep him involved in whatever you are doing

Message edited 7/17/2008 9:46:36 AM.

Re: Teaching your child

I talk to Thomas a lot. I'll pick up the ball and say red ball, yellow ball, where is the green ball? Let's get Thomas milk from the refigerator. Do you want to brush your teeth? Where are your teeth? Things like that. It's amazing how they soak things up. He's starting to learn where the parts of his body are. He can tell you (most of the time) where his eyes, ears, nose, mouth and teeth are. He also knows his feet. Sometimes he gets confused with Mommy's eyes as opposed to Thomas' eyes, but he's getting better!

Re: Teaching your child

Well, with Ava, I've always had "purposeful" play times where I'm trying to teach her things like her colors, letters, numbers, etc. while we play. However, that's not all the time. But everyday I try to get in some purposeful play. HTH.

Re: Teaching your child

I am not at home with DS all day so I have to hope daycare does something!!

But when I am with him I always speak to him, tell him what if going on and dance alot!!!

Re: Teaching your child

I try to "teach" Lily things when I remember, when we're playing and whatnot....but what I've noticed is that even when I'm not trying, she's learning. They pick up on so much on their own, without you even doing anything!

For instance, she would look at the fish tank, and I would say "Look at the fish" or something like that. Now, when she looks at the tank she automatically says "shhhh" and looks at me. So she's saying "fish" in her own way, without me trying to teach her.

Re: Teaching your child

Re: Teaching your child

I was trying to teach Gavin "no" this morning when he was reaching for his dirty diaper.
He would reach for it and I took his hand away and said "no".

He reached again, but this time I didn't take his hand, just said "no"
He looked at me and stopped but we did this about 2 more times...

I think he's getting it.....

Re: Teaching your child

DS is going to be 10 months next week and recently started to point at things which we interpret sort of as him asking us "What is that?". We talk about the things he points and basically just go with the flow throughout the day just talking about things. Kids are like sponges but it also helps to teach him things. We recently taught Michael where is the light, and when we ask him where is the light he either looks up at it or points to it.

Re: Teaching your child

I also wanted to add that DD knows so much more than I realize she does. She sometimes does or "says" things that just blow me away. So really, I think at this age, all the indirect teaching we do really goes a long way.