Researchers share new knowledge about 'toddlers' with parents and professionals

Children aged 1-2 years are often affectionately called toddlers. But it's also an ‘age of defiance’ because the child starts to develop independence. Toddlers explore boundaries, often say no and want to do most things on their own. This can sometimes lead to strong emotions and frustrations – both for the child and those around them.

This important stage in young children's development is the focus of a new research and intervention project, 'Understanding your toddler', which with a grant of DKK 15 million from the foundation Nordea-fonden will be based at the Centre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies (see box).

The project focuses on children's caregivers, i.e. parents and childcare professionals, who are central to children's development.

"Parents and childcare professionals play a key role in helping children regulate the difficult emotions that naturally arise during toddlerhood. At the same time, children need adults who can make demands in a clear and sensitive way, but who are also able to support the child's desire to play and explore the world," says Professor Mette Skovgaard Væver, who heads the centre of excellence.

Project leader Ida Egmose Pedersen, assistant professor at the UCPH Department of Psychology, explains further:

"With this project, we will collaborate with parents and childcare professionals to develop an initiative that provides research-based knowledge about toddlers’ development. The goal is to develop practical tools to be used in nurseries, while also offering parents an easily accessible alternative to the information they currently find elsewhere, for example online."

Parallel interventions in the home and childcare settings

The initiative will be tested and evaluated with 1,200 parents and 800 childcare professionals, including 200 childminders. This will involve 65 childcare centres in five municipalities.

In childcare centres, 'Understanding your toddler' will provide staff with the knowledge and skills to better support children's emotional and social development. The project will also strengthen the cooperation between childcare centres and families. Emphasis will be placed on communication between staff and parents during formal meetings and in the daily drop-off and pick-up interactions.

It's not about putting pressure on parents and trying to make them 'perfect' parents, it's about giving them good, practical tools.

Parents will also be offered easily accessible, research-based knowledge about young children's emotional development. But the researchers also want to support parents' own sense of competence in parenting by focusing on 'good enough’ parenting and normalising the challenges that many experience.

The latter is important, says Ida Egmose Pedersen.

"It's not about putting pressure on parents and trying to make them 'perfect' parents, it's about giving them good, practical tools to deal with stressful and challenging everyday situations. And many may simply be reassured that what they are already doing is good enough.”

Building on 'Understanding your baby'

The project is an extension of the well-established 'Understanding Your Baby' project, in which psychologists from the Centre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies have been working with young children in collaboration with health nurses and others.

The new project will further develop some of the same tools, while incorporating lessons learned from other early years projects. For example, 'Understanding your toddler' will expand the video library of 'Understanding your baby' with short explanatory videos for parents and develop longer digital learning programmes with reflection exercises for childcare professionals.

Ultimately, Mette Skovgaard Væver and Ida Egmose Pedersen hope that the project will help children who currently do not have high quality interactions with adults on a daily basis. A previous study shows that the quality of care in more than a third of the country's childcare centres is inadequate. But above all, the aim of 'Understanding your toddler' is broad:

"There is currently a strong focus on the wellbeing of children and young people. For us, the overarching goal is to support the social and emotional development of all toddlers. Not only children at risk. We know that the home and the childcare settings are the most important arenas for children's development, so if we can strengthen them, we will be helping children on a positive path," says Ida Egmose Pedersen.