Getting into everything
With the baby exploring more and more, whānau need to constantly check that the house and property are safe and that the baby 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’.
Ask the whānau:
- Does ‘getting into everything’ sound like someone you know?
- What has your little one been up to lately?
- What have you been enjoying about them?
- What are some of the challenges?
Supervision
On page 6 of the Whakatipu booklet 'Te Kōhuri 3', Whānau say: ‘Her curiosity and drive for exploring and experimenting is as strong as ever.’ 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 …’
- Are there any areas in the house or around the section that worry you?
- Shall we walk around and have a look together and do a bit of a safety check update?
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.
How does this relate to Tākai resources?
Baby wall frieze – Ka taea e au ki te mātakitaki – I can watch
Six things children need – Te aroha me te mahana – love and warmth
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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Ministry of Education: Messy play
Messy play gives children the opportunity to experience a wide range of sensory experiences.
