As toddlers explore their environment, they look to parents for assurance and permission. As parents view their toddlers’ often unruly behavior, they wonder how much freedom to allow and how much support to provide. The daily interaction and confrontation between parent and toddler continues the process of socialization and affects a child’s level of security. A positive parenting style can help you to enhance your child’s socialization skills.
Attachments
Although toddlers may form attachments with many people, typically they rely mainly on one parental figure. If the parent does not act as a comfort base, the child forms an insecure tie. In contrast, a child who trusts the parent will more confidently explore the environment and initiate the process of becoming independent.
Responsiveness
One of a parent’s main responsibilities involves comforting a toddler, according to Dr. Appleyard, et al. Providing encouragement and praise, a parent can allow the child to lead the direction of play. A responsive approach, however, can pose a challenge to a parent who grew up with strict, distant parents. An overly controlling, authoritarian, parent allows little freedom and lacks warmth, qualities that suppress steps toward independence, as the NYU Child Study Center explains. For example, an authoritarian parent may insist upon a clean plate at every meal, rather than responding to the child's insistence that he feels full.
Clear Expectations
Parents who can express clear-cut demands while still showing a high level of warmth and involvement can increase toddlers' social skills. These moderate -- or authoritative -- parents respect their children’s desire to explore but understand the importance of establishing order and setting reasonable limits for safety. Such parents can empathize with toddlers' thought processes but do not lower standards. On the other hand, permissive parents have few demands, and their lack of clarity can confuse toddlers.
Signs of Security
Toddlers who have secure social attachments feel comfortable exploring their environments and agree to most rules with few objections. They ask for assistance, seeking a parent when they need comfort. By contrast, a child who avoids attachment scarcely notices a missing parent, and child with a disorganized attachment seems confused or apprehensive.
Considerations
Children's innate temperaments can also affect their social interaction with their parents. Some toddlers adapt easily to new situations, while others fear novel experiences. Parents who recognize their toddlers' strengths and potential weaknesses, however, can adjust their parenting approaches, recognizing their unique personalities and allowing them additional time to adjust to new environments.
