Curiosity is the driving force behind education, and, unfortunately, children are born with an overwhelming abundance of it. During the first six months or so, they sharpen their sensory skills, and they gradually gain greater control over the different parts of their tiny bodies. They absorb everything with their eyes and ears, and whatever they can reach, they actively study with their hands, fingers and mouths. As they enter the second half of the first year, they are very much aware of everything in the world around them, and they are incredibly interested in all of it. However, they do not yet have the capacity to get to much of it on their own.
Usually between six and nine months of age, children start crawling. Soon after that, they begin standing and cruising (walking while holding onto something). Eventually, they begin climbing and walking. Now, they not only have the intense desire to get around and into everything, they have the ability to do so as well – and they certainly do not need prodding. Children at this stage would rather explore and investigate their surroundings than do anything else.
When they do so, children learn. Adults, somewhat jaded to the contents of the typical household, tend to forget how fascinating and stimulating just about anything can be when it is seen, heard, smelled, tasted, pushed, pulled and dropped for the first time. The potential for gaining information from these experiences makes the period between six months and two years of age one of the most critical educational segments in the lives of young children.
Unfortunately, it is also the most dangerous. Children's knowledge takes many months to catch up with their curiosity. While they are intrigued and excited by everything, they are totally naïve about everything, too. As a result, hospital emergency rooms report that accidental poisonings, falls and other serious mishaps are more common during this period than at any other time. Furthermore, families routinely report that during this period the life expectancy of plants, glassware, appliances, treasured heirlooms and other household objects is at an all-time low.
Therefore, how a mother and father respond to their child's combination of curiosity, mobility and naiveté determine how well she survives physically and thrives educationally during the early years. Preventing her from getting into trouble does not necessarily cause major problems, and neither does providing her with ample learning opportunities, but performing these two important functions simultaneously can be a formidable and difficult task. Nevertheless, armed with some essential insights and a few simple suggestions, most parents can easily see to it that their home is both a safe and suitable environment for their infant or toddler.
