Taking baby steps

Hyderabad: The British royal family’s youngest member Prince George successfully completed his first overseas tour and public appearances recently in New Zealand. From meeting with heads of state to mingling with those in his own age group in a specially organised “play date” — the little prince was judged to have met all his royal commitments with what passes for toddler élan.

Now your little tot may not be next in line to a throne, but for you, he or she is still a little prince or princess. And ensuring that the little one behaves in a manner befitting a royal no matter what social situation he or she is placed in — at a playschool activity, a play date with friends or a party at home — is your responsibility.

It’s never too early to teach a child discipline, experts believe. “A lot of Indian parents have this attitude that ‘If my child isn’t naughty now, then when will he or she ever be?’” says Maya Tiwari, a teacher at a South Mumbai-based playschool. “But there’s a difference between being playful and being badly behaved. It’s important for parents and teachers to recognise an effective way to teach the child the difference between good and bad behaviour.”

In social situations like play dates or during a class activity with other tots, explain to your child very clearly that hurting another toddler, grabbing their toys, damaging property or shouting loudly is not an acceptable behaviour. From about three years onwards, you can guide your child’s behaviour in a more detailed way. Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty says that teaching your little one the basics of etiquette is an ongoing process, and one that you should tackle patiently, one step at a time.

“Kids learn a lot through their experiences, and by imitating their models. So it is important that you do the right thing as parents. Make sure that the children watch and learn from you,” Dr Shetty adds.

And while they learn from your behaviour, you might want to take into account that your tot behaves differently when you’re around, and when you aren’t. Mum-of-two, actress and host of a TV show on parenting, Tara Sharma points out that toddlers can be a little more clingy and cranky when their parents are around. So when ferrying them to a play date or to a class trip to the zoo, ensure you give them plenty of time with the other toddlers and even if you must wait, then do so out of their sight.

What’s also important is not to have unrealistic expectations from your tot or yourself. “As parents, it is natural to make mistakes, you’re learning too,” reminds Tara. “So don’t be too harsh on yourself when your child does not behave well in public. Not everything is in your hands. Allow kids to be kids — you can’t expect them to be well turned-out all the time.”