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Home › Articles › Toddlers › Helping Hands

Helping Hands

Teaching Your Toddler to Pitch In

By Lisa Elliott Diehl

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  • Model good helping behavior. Since toddlers' verbal skills are not fully developed, they learn a tremendous amount by watching what the adults and older children in their lives do. "Role modeling is important," Onghai says. "Parents should be able to show those behaviors to the toddler so they can experience them, too. The only way the child will be able to give it back is to experience the feeling themselves."
  • Verbalize what you are doing. Jornsay-Hester says children learn by watching and listening. "One way we teach our toddlers is by verbalizing what we are doing," she says. Talk to your child while you work on a project, explaining what you are doing with each step.
  • Involve the toddler in your tasks. "Let your child become a part of what you are doing," Jornsay-Hester says. She suggests using phrases like, "Get Mommy a diaper," "What a good job you do" and "Mommy needs a helper" as ways to involve your child in your activities.

    • Some activities Onghai and Jornsay-Hester recommend include: setting the table, folding napkins, picking up toys, sorting laundry, matching socks, feeding the family pet, helping measure or pour ingredients for cooking, helping with a younger sibling, helping garden and finding lost items.

    "They don't necessarily have to find it," Onghai says. "The idea they are looking with you is good enough."

    Onghai also suggests finding books about famous people who helped others to read together or watching videos or television shows with themes related to helping or caring for others.

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