Parenting Your Toddler

Parenting is not for the faint of heart—especially if we’re talking about parenting toddlers! At this stage, your child starts to show her unique personality and to develop interests and preferences. It may be a newfound obsession with “princess" like dresses and hair accessories, or it may be an endearing habit, like singing to her mommy each morning. You may also begin to notice that these wonderful qualities come with ones that are pretty challenging! Toddlers are famous for throwing tantrums and demanding things like baby gifts. Here are some things to prepare your for parenting your toddler.

She will demand your undivided attention. She will want you by her side all day long! She will follow you around as you go about the household chores and will want to be a part of everything you do. It sure is nice to be at the center of someone's universe, but it can also be exhausting!

She can be highly egocentric.At this age, she has not yet learned how to be considerate of other people’s thoughts and feelings. It will be all about her, her, her. Her baby gifts, her story time, her favorite TV shows, her play time. But don’t worry, according to child development experts, a toddler's self-centeredness is part of developing a strong sense of self. That does not mean that you should keep giving in to all of her whims and fancies. She needs to know that there are limits.

She has a limited attention span. One of the things you notice about your toddler is that she does not stick with one task for very long. She is likely to shift from one activity to another. She may be engrossed with her hair clip collection one minute, and singing along to her favorite children’s shows the next.

She is fiercely independent. Toddlers are only beginning to truly see the world around them. They want to discover this new world and they usually want to explore on their own. Whether or not they're prepared to admit it, they need your help and guidance. This guidance may not always be welcome, but it’s a necessary part of the plan.

She is easily frustrated. At this tender age, her abilities simply can't keep pace with her ambition and curiosity. She is determined to look like a fairy of the forest but can’t put on her flower hair accessories properly, so she becomes enraged. Though easily frustrated, toddlers are extraordinarily persistent, which is one reason they learn so fast.

She follows her own “clock." Your toddler is not yet aware that adults have schedules to follow. She operates on her own time. It can either be extremely fast (like when she is magnetically pulled toward a dangerous object) or painfully slow (like when she insists on choosing a dress and then dressing herself). She isn't the least bit worried about whether you’re late for work or that you have a pile of laundry to finish. Trying to rush her will only be frustrating for you both. So chill out, relax, and cherish the precious moments of re-discovering the world through your toddler’s eyes.