But she has no understanding of what is going on. She does not understand what Saturday and divorce mean - all she knows that it has something to do with Daddy and where he is. Parents should not avoid using terms like divorce , tomorrow , September , weekend , but rather they must understand that those concepts are beyond the grasp of the toddler. Parents should try to sense what the child is feeling when he or she asks questions. Answer the feeling, but use the words too - this is how children learn language skills.
All children thrive on a dependable routine.
The toddler, experiencing so many developmental thrusts, desperately needs routine. As with language skills, the emergence of motor skills does not mean the child knows what is dangerous or what he or she can do. The toddler boy may think he can walk to the grocery store two blocks away, but halfway home he tires and wants to be carried. Or the toddler girl may take joy at jumping off of a pier only to find herself in water over her head. The young child does not engage in these unplanned or dangerous events to irritate parents or end up in the hospital.