For Parents of Little Ones

For Parents of Little Ones

“Pick one,” you say.

“I pick all of them,” your young child answers.

Young children need help learning to make choices. And they learn best by watching, playing, and practicing.

Remember it’s OK to let children make choices when the consequence won’t be dangerous, like going outside on a cool fall day wearing summer sandals. Sometimes experience can be the fastest teacher.

How to help children choose:

• When helping your little ones choose, give them just a few options so they don’t get overwhelmed. Offer a most favorite and a least favorite to make the choice easy at first.

• While reading books together, point out the choices characters make. Take turns guessing what might happen next because of those choices. You can also do this with scripture stories.

• Talk about choices at the grocery store: “I’m choosing between these two breakfast cereals. I think I’ll pick the one that’s better for our bodies.”

• Use two colors of paper to make two paths on the floor. Invite your little one to follow the color she likes best. Add forks in the path so she can choose more than once.

You can read past letters at FriendFPLO.lds.org.