Preparation for Toddler

Classes for Parents of Toddlers

The all new Toddler classes now consist of 3 different classes covering ages 4 - 36 months.

Babyhood Transitions (4-12 months):

It’s reality-check time! You’re at least three months into your tour of parenting and the complexity of child-training is starting to multiply. The learning fields of toddlerhood are cultivated during the Babyhood Transition phase, 5 months to a year. Now your baby’s day is filled to overflowing with sensory stimulation and learning opportunities. How will you respond? Certainly not by abandoning that which has brought you so much success - your baby’s routine. With age-appropriate modifications the three activities of your baby’s day: feeding time, waketime and naptime expand with benefits and challenges. In their customary fashion the Ezzos lay out practical steps for successfully managing the growth challenges ahead. From introducing solid foods to introducing the playpen and everything in between - it’s all here for your baby’s benefit and your peace of mind. Enjoy your pretoddler. Duration: 2 weeks View Class Schedule

All new Preparation for Toddler Years (12-18 months):

The period between twelve and eighteen months places a child on a one-way bridge. Infancy is a thing of the past and toddlerhood is straight ahead. A baby still? Not really, but neither is he a toddler and that is the key to understanding this phase of growth. This is a period of great change and whether you’re ready or not his natural inclination and challenge of "I do myself" will become increasingly apparent. Try taking something away and a scream of protest is likely. Remove your pretoddler from a dangerous object and his curiosity lures him right back. A favorite foods suddenly become not-so-favorite and in a few months "No!" will becomes the default word whether the child understands the question or not. How will a parent meet the unfolding growth challenges in the weeks and months ahead? Preparation for the Toddler Years provides answers by working through each new feeding time, waketime and naptime transition. The presentation is practical and the principles proven. Duration: 4 weeks View Class Schedule

Toddlerhood Transitions (18-36 months):

Let’s face it. There is no end to a toddler’s creative expression, from munching on crayons to striking a Superman pose while standing "oh yes" on the grocery cart seat when your head is turned to the artichoke bin. A toddler’s day covers a gamut of challenges, including small tantrums in the pizza shop because there is a bubble on the cheese to tantrums at naptime because he is just too tired to rationalize the benefits of sleep. But there is a tender side of the same child.

Watching a wide-eyed toddler smile as Mom gently blows tuft of silky white hair of spring’s last dandelion into the air, and then seeing a spontaneous clap of little hands, bears witness to the amazing reservoir of joy this child brings. A toddler takes his mother’s hand and pulls her toward the toy box because he remembers the pleasure of yesterday’s play and wants to share the moment with Mom. When little hands pull a face close to touch noses or plant a kiss, a world of turmoil comes under the spell of a toddler’s expressions of love. All is at peace. The power of a toddler’s embrace, the joy of his smile, the comfort of his cuddling, all teach us about a simple love that is pure and unmeasured.

As educators, parents, and grandparents, we know of no greater fulfillment that a parent can receive than the upturned face of a child, eyes speaking wonders and a face of confidence in discovering the world with you. This is what makes parenting the most interesting subject in the world. In just over a year, the helpless infant emerges as a little moving, talking, walking, exploratory person marked by keen senses, clear memory, quick perceptions, and unlimited energy. He emerges into a period of life known affectionately as the First Childhood beginning around eighteen months of age. The second and third year of life is an amazing, spontaneous, engaging yet challenging time for every child and his parents. In view of the fact that a toddler’s mind is driven by curiosity, a need to investigate and a tendency to try and rule the world with a smile or a scream, it becomes essential to consider the influence of the home as the principal learning environment, and Mom and Dad as the principal teachers. The self-evident truth that early family life lays the foundation for later adjustments exists above all other assumptions. Duration: 4 weeks View Class Schedule