Getting into everything
With pēpi exploring more and more, whānau need to constantly check that the house and property are safe and that pēpi is supervised.
At this age, a child will use their growing skills and confidence to explore anything and everything they can get their hands on. Their behaviour is often described as ‘getting into everything’.
Supervision
On page 9 of Whakatipu Te Kōhuri 3, whānau say: ‘They’re as curious as ever and keen to explore and experiment.’ This whole page clearly says that even though children at this age are more physically capable and know a lot more, they still need adults to look out for them.
One of the challenges is they can have ‘energy to burn’. So it’s the responsibility of all the big people in their lives to find ways for them to burn up all that energy in safe ways. Parents, whānau and older siblings all have a role to play in keeping an eye on the 2-year-old explorer.
Safety checks
Whānau will need to keep pace with their child’s increasing skills and abilities by upgrading safety around the house. Safety proofing the house is as important now as it ever was.
We all agree it’s tragic when a child is hurt, drowned, poisoned or burnt in an accident. But the truth is that with a bit of extra safety checking many accidents can be avoided. And we wouldn’t need to say ‘If only we’d …’
Things to think about
- What might be a danger to them at this stage?
- Where do you keep matches and lighters?
- What are the possible risks in the house and garden – can they get access to roads, water or heights that they could fall from?
- Are all medications, including those belonging to any visitors, well out of reach?
- Always check driveways and remind all whānau, especially visitors, about driveway dangers.
- Remember that children this age need to be actively supervised.
Conversation ideas
Helpful resources for whānau
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Safekids Aotearoa
Safekids Aotearoa provides practical advice based on international research, local knowledge and mātauranga, to help keep children safe from serious injuries like falls, drowning and incidents on the road.
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Messy play
Ministry of Education
Messy play gives children the opportunity to experience a wide range of sensory experiences.
