Tips for Toddlers

When was the last time you took a break and spent some quality time with your child; was it today, yesterday, or maybe last weekend? It's okay, it happens, but what might surprise you is that these moments do not have to take up an entire day in order to qualify themselves as special or meaningful experiences for your child. Think back to your childhood, what memories evoke the most emotion, the most joy, and the most sentiment...sure, a day at Disneyland could be at the top of your list, or maybe a camping trip or long vacation, but in reality we remember specific moments. But more often, we remember the feeling that we gained in that small lapse of time, and that is what you should strive to create for your child.

Get Involved
The next time you are getting ready to make dinner, ask them to be a helper. Maybe they can come up with a side dish, help you set the table, or even mix a salad. The point is to get them involved in an everyday activity that will help them feel connected to you, as well as foster their independence and burgeoning fine motor skills (the definition of Fine Motor Skills as it applies to this scenario would be the child's ability to control the movement of their fingers, hands, and wrists).

Read to them! This seemingly simple and all-to-often overlooked pastime has continually proven to show many positive benefits. Not only will you help their growing self-esteem by showing an interest in books that they find enjoyable, but you will help them in their early language development, as well as promote reading as a fun and favorable hobby in their future. Learning to read should be fun and inviting, this is your chance to help prepare your child for their future as a student, so make the most of it! Do silly voices, wear costumes, get multiple readers involved- help set the tone for the the rest of your child's academic life (no pressure!). But really, if you make it a routine and make it fun, your child will learn to love reading. This can, in turn, help them to become a better student in the future. If you teach them that there is joy in learning, your child just might take your lead.

Make it FUN!
No one ever said chores had to be boring, so why do we make them seem like pure drudgery? Children are easily affected by your mood and by the manner and tone in which you ask things of them. If you tell you child, "Go brush your teeth" or "Clean your room," odds are you might get met with resistance the majority of the time. Having much experience in this area, I have always found (silly as it may be) songs to be a great help. Do they have to make perfect sense? No! Do you sometimes sounds ridiculous as your singing quick, made-up, non-rhyming verses to your child? Absolutely! But it's not us that we are worried about, it's our children. So make it fun. I know you can do it!
If this does not seem to be up your alley, just remember that children respond to positive and inviting suggestions. If they are simply told to do something that they did not want to do to begin with, they most likely will reject your statement and work their way into a tantrum. My well-researched and often applied strategy is to use their enthusiasm and naivety to your advantage. We want to make everyday routines smooth and enjoyable, so give it a shot and I promise you will find your daily routine less hectic and more relaxing.

Thoughtful Reminder...
In keeping with this trend of making things easier, let me just say that the most simple addition you can add to your parenting repertoire (if it's not in there already) is to limit your child's options to choices that you are willing to take on. Children need boundaries and they need consistency, so if you want to allow them to choose what is for dinner, for example, give them several options (all of which you have already approved). If this is not done, there is quite a large possibility that your child might request chocolate pizza for dinner, and when their request is met with disapproval they will more than likely rebel. And at the end of the day, no one wants to deal with a hysterical toddler, so pick and choose your battles... that way you will have already won.