Understanding Your 2 Year Old

(This is the third of an 8 part series on Understanding Your Youngster. Check back each week for helpful, age specific information on how to help your child's spiritual development and creating a godly foundation.)

"Kids spell love, T-I-M-E."

John Crudele

I'm this many. Welcome to my world! I'm working towards independence. I notice others around me. I like to imitate others. I am long on will and short on skill. Join me in my journey and see how I do life.

• Model God's acceptance through your words and actions. My experiences with you are the first stepping stones to understanding God's grace. Tell me often: I am loved; Jesus loves me; God made me.  
• I can listen and learn simple Bible stories while experiencing God's love through others. It helps me to hear the same Bible story over and over. I learn through repetition.
• Model God's love by being consistent. It helps me to see the same faces and hear the same voices weekly in my church community. 
• Music and motions help me to remember what I learn about God/Jesus/the Bible. I like simple Bible songs with motions.
• I accept truths such as:
• Jesus loves us all the time. 
• God gives us friends.
• God loves and cares for me. 
• I'm beginning to experience prayer when you say, "Let's pray and talk to God." I can hold hands with others or fold my own hands. Model for me, "Dear Jesus, thank you for my food. Amen."

"Watching and listening to children is very important. It gives you clues about how they think." Karyn Henley

(Information pulled from Willow Creek's "Thought You'd Like to Know" packs.)