Part Two: The Emotional World of the Toddler
Another major task for toddlers that can confuse parents at first is resolving the conflict between their passionate desire for closeness to their parents--after all, they are still barely out of babyhood--and their equally fierce drive for independence. The mantra for many toddler is "Me DO" or as one toddler sputtered all day long, "Self!" Yet, when the going gets tough, the tough get going right back to mom's or dad's lap. Some call this the "rubber band" stage because it seems like the toddler is pulling outward and then snapping back.
Activities such as Music and Movement Story Time in the Our Time curriculum provide toddlers this opportunity. A child can move into the circle during Story Time and actively participate if he wishes, or he can stay close to mom or dad and listen to the story being rad. Given this security, most toddlers will naturally move to greater, and more appropriate, independence as they approach pre-school age.
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