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DIY Toddler Toys from Everyday Objects

Toddlers have an abundance of curiosity, a short attention span (when compared to adults), and an innate ability to uninhibitedly express themselves whenever the need strikes. One might say that toddlers excel at living in the moment. The good news is that this means you can make some DIY toddler toys out of everyday household objects that will attract and amuse your toddler. Obviously, parents will need to monitor their toddlers as they play with these “DIY” toys (just as they would if the toddler was playing with regular toys). Many parents have noticed this little “quirk” that toddlers have. … Continue reading →

My Toddler Empties Everything – Everything

It can be very frustrating for some moms when their toddler goes through what is called an empty out phase. The empty out phase is very serious development work for your little one despite how frustrating it is. Emptying out means your toddler likes to turn things over and dump them out. Toddlers learn how to empty things long before they learn how to put things back in or even want to. Demolition Experts Toddlers are demolition experts. When my daughter went through this phase, it was hilarious – at least for us. We would set up her playpen every … Continue reading →

Teaching Your Toddler to Mind Their Ps & Qs – Seriously!

Yes, teaching manners to a toddler may sound about as easy as herding cats and to be honest, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that. Teaching etiquette to your children has to start at some point and toddlerhood is as good a time as any to begin teaching them. There are a number of ways you can begin teaching manners to your toddler and none of them require absolute perfection on the part of your toddler – because your chances of winning the lottery are higher than having a perfectly mannered toddler. So where do we get started? You start … Continue reading →

Your Toddler’s Sense of Smell

Your toddler’s nose is nowhere near as discerning as yours is. It’s important to remember that our senses are heightened after pregnancy. The scent of a dirty diaper is pretty powerful to us, but not so much to our kids. Our body odor doesn’t offend them either – that’s why they’ll snuggle up to you even when you haven’t had a chance to shower all day and you may think you stink, but your child doesn’t notice. This lack of acuity and sensitivity in their sense of smell is part of the reason why your toddler cannot distinguish between safe … Continue reading →

The Sense of Touch – The World is at Their Fingertips

You know, it’s hard to pick out what sense is my favorite sense. After all, I love to feel the silkiness of my dog’s fur and the softness of my daughter’s cheek. Touching is so wonderful – whether the surface is smooth, rough, soft, scaly, feathered or downy. There is so much in the world that our toddlers can discover through their sense of touch. The pages of a hard cardboard book; the roughness of their daddy’s stubble cheek; the softness of your own hair – and yes, your toddler will love to run their fingers through it and tug … Continue reading →

Toddler Tips: Toys for Tots

Never mistake that your toddler is working while they are playing. They are working while developing motor skills, hand eye coordination and more. So encouraging your toddler to play and providing them with toys to stimulate their imagination and development is a great idea. With that in mind, here are some tips on picking out toys for tots. Develop their small motor skills with stacking toys, wooden puzzles with knobs, shape sorters and pop up toys with dials and knobs that their fingers can manipulate Develop their large motor skills with pull toys, push toys, climbing toys and riding toys … Continue reading →

5 Creative “Gifts” for Baby’s First Christmas

Are you Christmas shopping already? I personally love to go in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I am sure that my mother in law is probably almost finished and she is buying for 22 people! I must warn you before you continue reading that I’m not going to disclose to you the hottest “it” toys of the season. Nor will I tell you what cute thing you should buy. At the risk of sounding like a scrooge, I have discovered the futility of lots of toys at Christmas time for infants. After watching five children of my own, and seven … Continue reading →

Do you hear what I hear? The Sense of Sound

Like their sense of sight, your toddler has been listening to the world for a long time. In fact, of all their senses – they’ve been listening to the world around them since they were inside the womb. Your baby recognizes your scent and the sound of your voice before anything else. Their hearing is constantly bombarded by the sounds of the world around them. It takes time for your toddler to learn how to shut out the other sounds and filter them. You can help your toddler expand their auditory skills by teaching them to ‘listen’ to specific sounds. … Continue reading →

The Sense of Taste

As we discussed earlier in Your Toddler’s Sense of Smell, taste is somewhat less than refined when your baby is born. Their taste buds are still developing and they are resistant to changes – even those of the sweet kind until they are ready. You’ll notice a reticence in tasting some foods when their sense of smell begins expanding and the same can be said for their sense of taste. Toddlers are, by their very nature, finicky. One good rule of thumb to get into where eating and new tastes are concerned is to let them sample flavors. Never fix … Continue reading →

The Sense of Sight – Looking at the World Through Rose-Colored Glasses

The sight may seem to be the easiest of the senses to promote for your little one and the truth is – it is the easiest. After all, you just have to hold things up for them right? The answer to that is yes and no. You see, your toddler doesn’t have your ability to filter out all the background sights to focus on individual objects without some effort. The world is a kaleidoscope of images, colors, shapes and sizes. You can play games like peek-a-boo to sharpen their acuity for focusing on specific objects. After all, when you are … Continue reading →