We Are Toddlers!
From Baby To A Toddler!
Relish the joy of parenthood as you watch your baby grow up!
You can clearly see that raising her is getting more challenging!
Every day she learns more about the world and how to cope in it.
Not to mention, she is busy proving that she has a mind of her own!
There are many positive approaches to encourage in him the qualities that will help him flourish as he grows.
Our own parenting style will not only shape our toddler’s development, behaviours and relationships with others.
It will also serve as a model for the kind of person and parent, that your toddler is likely to become later in life.
Do you want a positive toddler?
Then be a positive parent!
‘Parenting… positively’ means nurturing your toddler’s growth and development in a calm, supportive, respectful relationship.
Positive parents do this by setting appropriate limits, practicing patience, understanding their child’s development, seeing the humour in their life and encouraging and supporting their toddler.
Parenthood can be stressful!
The first step is to reflect on your own goals, values and strategies.
Ask yourself what you’d like to change… why and how.
Even small changes in the ways you interact, relate and respond to your toddler can make a meaningful difference.
Say what you mean clearly, be firm with your intentions and then consistent in your actions.
Although it can bring some of the best perks you can imagine, the fun, the growth and the love.
It can bring also more than its fair share of hard-work and frustration.
Positive parenting involves everything from being patient to setting limits.
It isn’t always about what we teach and actively join in.
Just as importantly, being a parent should also involve taking a backseat and simply encouraging and enjoying our toddler’s curiosity in their imaginative pursuits.
Go with the flow…
Learning to CALMLY ‘go with the flow’ is something that is frequently hard to do!
But, often the best thing is to try and see the bigger picture, then remind yourself that it doesn’t really matter if your routine sometimes goes out of the window.
A regular schedule shouldn’t take over your life or stop you from leaving the house.
This time management tool will often need to be taken with a hefty pinch of salt when you have a toddler in tow!
Giving your toddler the option between two choices can often be the quickest way to move a situation forward if things need to be resolved swiftly.
If you need to go out and your toddler wants to remain and play, offer a choice between two of the toys he is playing with to bring along.
He will forget he wanted to STAY and play. He will just feel pleased he got to decide which toy he continues to play with.
Distraction can be another wonderful tool in any parent’s tool box!
Rediscover the joys of the world.
Toddlers are wonderful, imaginative, curious, growing little creatures with an enthusiastic sense of humor and an amazing zest for life.
A toddler’s brain is developing at such a rapid rate that at times, that it seems like the baby we had yesterday bears no resemblance to the toddler that we see in front of us.
Toddlers live totally in the present, so always make time for your little one to show you the new flower she’s found in the garden or the big puddle in the driveway.
I don’t understand!
Toddlers observe and take in much more than we realise.
They cannot always communicate their needs to adults and it must be very frustrating when nobody understands you … a bit like being in a foreign country.
But when you finally work out what your child is trying to say, get down to her eye level and repeat it back to her, so she realizes that you do understand.
This might possibly even avert a tantrum, once she knows that you understand.
Wise Words…
“Parenting can be demanding work!
Take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.
It is easier to enjoy your toddler and be a positive, loving parent
when you are feeling good about yourself.” Anon
Positive parenting is remembering that you are the adult!
Do you have a hint or tip which helped you and your toddler towards a more
calm and contented life?
I’d love to hear your views on this topic, please leave your comments below…