You may hire a sitter to entertain your toddler at home while you go to appointments. There are times, however, when you have to take your toddler to an appointment with their doctor or dentist. A wait in the waiting room is usually unavoidable, and with a toddler the wait can feel like an eternity.
How do you keep your toddler entertained in the waiting room of the doctor, dentist, car dealership, or other place where you have to sit and wait a little while? You probably packed a toy or two from home in your purse or diaper bag, but your toddler may take one look at it and throw it on the ground. This may be the time to offer up something that she has not seen before, like a small pad of paper and a crayon or a small sticker book.
If she decides that exploring the waiting area is much more fun than whatever you have brought along, guide her explorations by asking her to locate things in the magazines that are out on the table or in the rack. It may be fun for her to find a boy with a red shirt, a blue car, or a brown dog and it may take her a little while too. Playing I Spy is another similar yet fun way to pass the time.
You don’t need any materials at all to have a conversation with your toddler, and talk time is great for boosting toddler vocabulary. Ask your toddler what he or she sees that is interesting, or what her favorite thing is that you have done that day. The list of potential topics of conversation is as limitless as your imagination, and depending upon where you are you may even be able to introduce a new word or two into your toddler’s vocabulary.
Photo by clarita on morguefile.com.