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Using Compromise with a Toddler

There is a reason that they call it the terrible twos. Two-year-olds tend to want to assert their own independence and opinions, even if they don’t quite make sense to us. A limited vocabulary also adds to their frustration because they can’t always communicate what they want and may have trouble being understood. While you may be surprised that this discipline technique works (notice that discipline means guidance; it does not mean punishment), compromise can be a very effective of dealing with some of the issues that we face with the terrible twos. It gives the child a sense of … Continue reading →

Toddler Tips: Taming the Savage Beast

We talked about tempering toddler tantrums earlier and while you will learn very quickly what works with your little one, here are a few other tips for taming some of the behavior your toddler may exhibit. It’s important to remember, even when you are verging on ripping your own hair out, that toddlers do not necessarily know right from wrong. That’s what we are teaching them. So with that in mind, here are some toddler tips for taming them and teaching them at the same time: Scribbles – Your toddler loves to draw, on paper, on furniture, on their toys, … Continue reading →

Tempering Toddler Tantrums

When your baby becomes a toddler, it’s really a very exciting period for both of you. You will discover that your baby is much more interesting as a personality in their own right. But you have to take the good with the bad. Your toddler maybe developing their very own personality and becoming more intrigued with the world around them every day, but at the same time – they are more likely to have meltdowns where screaming hissy fits are made to look tame. It’s important to recognize the triggers of a toddler tantrum and to preempt them if you … Continue reading →

Toddler Playdates & Picking Up Bad Social Habits

I remember when my daughter was just 20 months old and my nephew was visiting. He was just a little over 4, himself. But he was going through a phase of arguing about everything and when he didn’t get his way, he’d scream. Not twenty seconds after the first demonstration of this little talent – my daughter fell into step. We spent the next two months coping with a toddler who would scream when she didn’t get her way and it was far from a pleasant task. The simple thing is – when toddlers get together with other children, they … Continue reading →

Stay In Control – Toddler Trouble

The Terrible Twos have their name for a reason, but toddlers can often be terrible before and after two – it just seems that two is the average age that most toddlers start to get into trouble. The cause of the trouble is usually your baby’s bids for independence. Babies are intensely curious and what they are most curious about is the world around them and how they can get to it. Maintain Your Calm It’s important to remember that while your baby may have already learned the word no and understands your tone of voice – they are not … Continue reading →

Think First

“You’re a waste of human skin.” I’ve thought that about several people I’ve met over the years, but I certainly wouldn’t say it to them. It’s not because I fear their reaction; rather, it boils down to self control. Think before you act; in the end, it could prevent a lot of unnecessary drama. Too bad parents in Berlin, Maryland, couldn’t exercise the simple rule. Doing so, would have kept them out of the headlines. Unfortunately, now, the entire world knows the small town is home to a bunch of bullies. You can read all about the bully war thanks … Continue reading →

Working Through Situations With Your Intense Child

If you are not a temperamentally intense person, it can be difficult to understand a temperamentally intense child. I am definitely not what you would call an intense person, I’m pretty easygoing and generally go with the flow. Dylan, on the other hand, is very intense. He reacts to things, both positive and negative, in a very strong way. It is never difficult to know what he thinks about something. Children with intense temperaments bring a depth of experience into our worlds that we have not previously known, if we are not intense ourselves. When they laugh, it comes from … Continue reading →

The Terrible Twos Might not Wait for the Second Birthday

It happens to just about every parent—it seems that overnight your cute, acquiescent, adorable and bubbly baby turns into an independent monster overnight shouting “No!” and “Mine!” at every interval. Alas, you may be expecting the arrival of the terrible twos but surprised to find that they don’t always wait until after the second birthday… I think that parents of the newly verbal, vocal, and opinionated toddler need to hear that they have done their job! Congratulations are in order if your child is starting to assert her independence and has learned how to make her wishes, wants, and needs … Continue reading →

How Much Can You Really Shape Sleep Habits?

Periodically, I try to write about the trials and tribulations of the family sleep “issues” because this seems to be one of the topics that comes up most often in conversations among parents—especially newer parents of young children. Napping, how many hours of sleep a child needs, the exact arrangement of those hours, where the child sleeps, etc. are all big concerns for many parents. Now that my three are nearly grown and I look back, though, I wonder just how much of an impact or how much control I have actually had in shaping their sleep habits… I do … Continue reading →