Today at Hay Park Playgroup, Siale our playgroup coordinator filled up the dizzy giddy with some water and put all the play-dough toys inside.  Thevagi put in some dish washing liquid and created lots of bubbles and Fonda found some dish cloths to give to our very enthusiastic helpers, Stgereda and Sarangan.  With their aprons on, they were ready for action.

“Sarangan loves to clean the dishes at home as well.  I often put a chair next to the sink so he can play in the water and we do the dishes” said Thevagi (his mum).

Children are great imitators – they often like to repeat what they have seen the special people in their lives do, whether it be washing dishes, reading books, sweeping the floor or hanging out the washing. Children learn a number of skills ranging from language and communication to social skills when they imitate adults.

Imitation often follows a four-step process: watching and listening, processing the information, attempting to copy a behaviour, and practicing.  Imitation is often seen as a stepping-stone to independence. As children copy the actions of adults, they discover they are capable and then they want to try it again and again!

PARENTS, THIS MEANS…

You are under constant observation – you are being watched all the time, so it’s important to model your best behaviour. Children do, what they see .