The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block 2-Book Bundle pdfdrive com

A Gesture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Toddlers are really attentive to hand gestures, probably because
they can gesture well before they can speak. In fact, their first
communication (besides crying, giggling, and facial expressions)
usually consists of pointing at something to indicate “I want it!” or
“What’s that?” Most 9-month-olds wave bye-bye, but it often takes
another year for them to say “Bye-bye!”
In English, the pointer finger is called the index finger. The word
“index” comes from the Latin verb dicere, meaning “to say.” This
ancient use of the hands to communicate is also reflected in Serbia,
where the pointer is referred to as the kazhi perst, which translates
as “talking finger.”
Some Tips for Mirroring Emotion
Don’t Go Overboard

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Don’t Go Overboard
Some parents mirror 120 percent of their toddler’s tantrum, really
hamming it up. Exaggerated displays may stop a child’s crying, but they
work through distraction and mockery. That is not what I recommend.
The goal of Toddler-ese is to calm children through understanding and
respect. That happens by mirroring just a bit of their feelings.
Level the Playing Field
Kneel just below your toddler’s eye level. This simple gesture shows her
you respect her and you care. If you want, you can ask your child to look
you in the eyes (“Give me your eyes!”), but don’t try to push the issue.
Children who are angry or ashamed often avoid meeting our eyes.
Remember, the goal isn’t to break your child’s spirit. So don’t force the
eye contact. If you treat your toddler with respect she’ll be able to look
you in the eyes and return the respect to you by the time she’s school-
age.
Tailor Your Response to Your Child
Your child’s temperament matters! Spirited kids are more emotional, so
they need us to mirror more of their feeling—up to 50 percent. Shy kids
are self-conscious and need us to mirror a bit less. In fact, they may feel
mocked if we mirror their feelings too strongly. Age matters too.
Generally, older toddlers need to be mirrored less dramatically than
younger toddlers.