Over the weekend, new mum Mira Rajput did something quite interesting.
She took her daughter Misha to a birthday party where the hosts already had a painting class planned. Without a care in the world, Mira let her one-year-old play with colours, mess around the room and enjoy every moment of it.
Soon after the party when the mother-daughter duo stepped out, they were photographed with their clothes laced in all sorts of colours and frankly they looked quite happy.
Mira's trick on how to teach toddlers colours actually works!
This simple trick of letting her toddler engage with colours without thinking about the mess certainly grants Mira brownie points when it comes to smart parenting.
The key is not to put pressure on children but to let them play instead
She not only allowed her daughter to freely discover new colours and engage in a stimulating activity, but also taught her that exploration is not forbidden or frowned upon, it will only be encouraged.
In fact, experts suggest that letting kids get dirty or play with food or colours or objects that may make a mess but help them learn something new should be on the parenting checklist.
A study published in the journal Appetite suggests that kids young are allowed to play with their fruits and vegetables or make a mess are more likely to eat them. "Researchers said the key is not to put pressure on children but to let them play instead," reported the daily.
Similarly, if parents allowed their kids, as young as a one-year-old to make a mess and explore new things, they should be allowed to do so. This is the exact parenting technique that Mira used with her own toddler.
But some of you may question- how is food and painting related? Well, the two activities may not be related, but the premise of the parenting technique sure is.
Just as you allow your kid to explore food and touch and then taste, colours also help them identify objects and stimulates their brains.
When do toddlers start learning about colours and objects?
What many young parents fail to understand is that learning process for a toddler is not straight forward. Learning about colours for instance, coincides with the cognitive development of the child that may take place around the 15th month.
This is also the time when kids start understanding about texture, shapes, sizes and by the age of 3 they are able to differentiate between the name colours and objects.
How do toddlers identify colours?
Ideally, a toddler may learn about colours when parents help them match and point at the colours with objects. For instance, a yellow elephant or a blue ball. Once you know your child identifies the colours, you can start sharing their names.
You can also use mealtime to help them differentiate between colours. By the age of 2, you can help your kid identify between the same colours' different variations such as light blue and dark blue; by using the same matching, pointing and naming techniques.
Now, if you are an old-school parent and do not mind letting your kid get dirty while understanding colours, you can let them play with them while keeping a few things in mind.
5 ways for stress free panting exercise with toddlers
- Have them sit on a booster chair: If your toddler is a little explorer, you can have them strapped to the chair so all the mess they make is on and around the space they occupy. Or if you do not want to strap them in, place yourself between them and the place you do not wish for them to rush to with their hands dirtied in colour.
- Tape their paper to a board: You can also try the age-old technique of providing a stationary canvas. Tape the paper they wish to use and you can make them sit at that position while they finish their masterpiece. This also prevents the paper from flying away or hitting the floor or even your child's face.
- Dress them down: You don't have to dress your child in her or his best while playing with colours. So dressing them down and making them wear something that can easily be washed or thrown out is a stress free option. You can avoid the dramatics by simple changing them into something easy to wear and easy to throw.
- Let them explore: Now that the place and area where they intend to paint is sorted, you can give them some space and time to explore. Giving them the independence to try new things also means giving them the confidence that they can do things on their own.
- Frame their masterpieces: It goes without saying that you must treat their masterpieces as art and display them proudly. This does two things. First, it gives your kids confidence to try it again and second, it will make you feel like a proud parent as well.
Also read: 5 things we should all learn from a stay-at-home mum
(All images courtesy: Instagram)
