Author: Rachel Ehrenberg / Source: Science News
Scientists disagree over why toddlers like to help, but the behavior is linked to success later in life
Getting help from a toddler is a bit like not getting help: They mean well, but you may end up with more of a mess than when you started.
But given the choice, many kids prefer “real” activities to imaginary games, Bruce Bower recently reported in depth for Science News. And the benefits of recruiting your child for help with chores may go beyond conquering that pile of laundry: Research suggests that that kids who develop good “prosocial skills” — behaviors like helping and sharing — fare better in life when they’re older.
You may have noticed that your youngster is already interested in offering you assistance — handing you bread as you unpack groceries or carrying silverware to the table. There’s some debate in the research community about why this urge to lend a hand emerges.
One camp argues that humans have an innate tendency to come to the aid of others. Several years ago, a landmark study in Science found that kids as young as 18 months old will help — unprompted — an adult experimenter whose hands are full with tasks like picking up a dropped pen or opening a cabinet door. The researchers performed similar experiments with three young chimpanzees and found they also chipped in (though less reliably), suggesting that humans are inherently altruistic.
Other researchers say there’s no need to invoke altruism. They argue that young humans are socially, emotionally and behaviorally primed for all sorts of interactions, as are parents, and helping emerges from that mix. To oversimplify: Infants like social interactions and they like mastering new skills; helping lets them do both.
(The desire to engage with others also manifests in behaviors like grabbing, biting or hitting, leading you to…The post How to help your toddler be helpful (with caveats) appeared first on FeedBox.