“Readiness” is an important concept; young children are developing at different paces and faster in some areas while slower in others. Many parents become anxious when they hear that their child is not where he should be on the growth or developmental charts. Some parents have a hard time dealing with their child’s regressive behavior – they expect that once he has mastered a skill it sticks. Parents needing for life to get easier often become upset if their child regresses to less mature behavior. They can have difficulty understanding that just because their child knew how to do something before doesn’t mean he will always want to do it, particularly when tired, hungry or upset.
Jump Starts helps parents better understand that their children’s behavior is child-like and to not expect adult-like behaviors. Parents can develop their repertoire for responding with encouragement and increasing everyone’s self-confidence.