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Home › Articles › General Safety Issues › At the Field

At the Field

Keep Your Toddler Entertained and Safe at Sporting Events

By Melinda Copp

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Although it may seem like a good idea to include your toddler in his sibling's events, it can become stressful. So some experts say not even to bother taking the little ones along because it might be too much for them to handle.

"Parents put a great deal of unnecessary stress on themselves by bringing their toddlers to activities and sporting events for their older children," says Nina Sazer O'Donnell, the United Way of America's director of National Strategies Success By 6 who is involved in Born Learning, the United Way's program that helps parents create learning opportunities out of everyday experiences. "Developmentally, it's a lot to expect of a small child to sit still or pay attention for the length of seven baseball innings or a 90-minute soccer game. Rather, I think families are better served by fostering a dedicated and structured learning environment for their toddlers."

If you're not feeling up to toddler chasing, or if your older child needs your full attention at the game, then you should consider making arrangements to leave your little one elsewhere with a sitter or family member.

Game days don't have to be a battle between you and your toddler. And you don't have to drive yourself crazy dividing your attention between the action on the field and what mischief your little one is getting into. When you use these strategies for keeping your toddler safe and happy at the field, you and your toddler can be there to support big brother or sister.

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