Your world as an adult is different from a child’s world. Understanding the world from a child’s perspective is crucial for creating a safe and nurturing environment. Unlike adults, children live in a world filled with eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping, free from the worries and responsibilities of adulthood. Their primary activities, such as play, are both for pleasure and learning.
Play is inherently explorative, allowing them to figure things out by turning everyday objects into playthings. They are allowed to get messy and dirty when they play. For example, a toddler might spend hours stacking and knocking down plastic cups, not just for fun but to understand concepts like balance and cause and effect. Similarly, a child playing with a cardboard box could be imagining it as a spaceship, a car, or a house, exploring different scenarios and outcomes in their minds.
For instance, a bottle of oil to you is simply a cooking ingredient, but to a child, it’s a fascinating object to explore, even if that means pouring it all over themselves. This difference in perception underscores the importance of stepping into their world to understand how they see things. Imagine walking into your kitchen and finding your toddler covered in flour, giggling with glee. To them, the flour is a magical powder that feels fun to touch and throw around, not an ingredient for baking. Or consider a child who finds a marker and decides to create art on the living room wall. They see a blank canvas, not the freshly painted wall you worked so hard on.
As a parent, it’s essential to make your home child-friendly. This involves putting potentially harmful objects out of their reach and protecting them from danger. Recognize that anything within their reach can and will become a plaything, so it’s up to you to ensure their environment is safe. For instance, keep cleaning supplies in a locked cabinet, and place sharp objects like scissors and knives in drawers that are out of reach or have child-proof locks. Small objects that pose choking hazards, like coins or beads, should be kept off the floor and out of sight. Instead, fill their play area with safe, age-appropriate toys that stimulate their imagination and development. For example, cover electrical outlets with safety plugs, use corner guards on furniture with sharp edges, and install safety gates to prevent access to stairs.
Remember, you can’t blame a child for injuring themselves with something hazardous within their reach. It’s your responsibility to create a safe space where they can explore and play without coming to harm. So understanding their world and taking proactive steps to child-proof your home, can provide a secure environment for their growth and development. Regularly get down to your child’s eye level to spot potential hazards you might miss from an adult’s perspective. Doing so will make you more likely to create a home where your child can safely explore their world, satisfy their curiosity, and develop their skills.
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