What really matters- Behavior Scripts & Following social rules. Whit’s increased awareness of what others do, gave rise to an increasing sophistication in the types of social scripts she could imitate. She had seen me shovel the driveway a few times. Then once after a snow when we went outside, she picked up a shovel and started to clear off the porch. Encouraging our toddlers to observe and enact these scripts helps them assimilate into the social norms and pick up on what is deemed proper conduct.

How to put it into practice-

Tuning In- Toddlers love to imitate defined scripts that they observe their parents or siblings doing. Sweeping the floor or wiping up spilled water are other typical scripts your child will notice and re-enact. Try to pick up on and support any of these attempts at understanding social rules.

Bridging- Re-inforce this behavior by demonstrating your excitement about their reenactment. Narrate the different aspects of the script such as “Oh you got the shovel. Yes that is what mommy and daddy use for shoveling the snow. That is right you are placing it on the ground and then moving it right to the end of the porch. The snow is in the shovel. Look how there is no more snow on the porch. All clear! Let’s do another row of snow.” Your toddler feeds off of your excitement and sees how muchh fun it is to follow the social rules she notices.