Toddlers and Temperament : Part 1

Do you sometimes feel a bit out of sync with your toddler? If you do, do not worry. It is perfectly normal for that to happen. One possible reason that you may feel that way is that each of you has your own unique temperament, and people with different temperaments have different needs. One way to think about temperament is to think about introverts and extroverts. I had to sit down and think about that this evening, because I had a pretty rough day. At the end of the day, I found myself wondering whether there was anything that I could … Continue reading →

Getting Things Done While Caring for a Toddler

It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. It is also true that mothers, in times of necessity, invent some pretty amazing things. Today I read about a time – management technique that Jessica Williams invented one day, when she was home with her three young children and had to finish writing an article that was due the next day. It is called the 10 – 10 technique, and it enabled her to remain connected with her children and finish her article all in the course of an hour. How did she do it? First, she set … Continue reading →

Diagnosis – Overly Worried Mama

Toddlers are interesting little people, to say the least, and their behavior can at times baffle even the most patient of parents. Sometimes when you notice something about your toddler’s behavior that you think is unusual, it can be hard to determine whether it is just typical toddler behavior or a sign of something more. I recently had a discussion about this topic with Dylan’s pediatrician at his last well child visit. During the visit, the pediatrician checked Dylan up and down physically. He also asked me questions about the kinds of things that he has been doing – can … Continue reading →

Sometimes it is not the Kids Who Need an Attitude Adjustment

Sometimes, making a change in one area of your life can dramatically improve things in another. Over the past week, I have noticed a big change in my ability to regulate my emotions in general. That change seems to be connected with some major changes that I have made to my diet. The effects that these changes have had on my relationship with my boys are certainly worth mentioning, because I feel like a much better parent right now than I was a couple of weeks ago. A couple of weeks ago, I was certainly not a bad parent by … Continue reading →

Handling Quirky Toddler Behaviors

One wonderful thing about toddlers is that as they grow, you can begin to see glimpses of their personality emerging. As language develops, toddlers learn to vary their tone of voice and become more expressive in general. Their budding personalities can have you rolling on the floor laughing one moment and completely annoyed the next. Toddlers can sometimes develop behavioral quirks as well, things like nose picking, hair twirling, nail biting, and putting their hands down their pants. Depending upon the behavior and the parent, quirky toddler behaviors can inspire a reaction that ranges from wondering whether and when the … Continue reading →

Are You Feeling Exhausted?

Do you ever have days or nights when you feel absolutely and completely physically and mentally exhausted? If you do, do you wonder how a person so small could cause an adult to become so exhausted? You are not alone. At least one other person (me) experiences this, from time to time. As much as it may seem that the nature of toddlers themselves is the reason that parents can become physically and mentally exhausted, that is just part of the larger picture. It does take a lot of energy to play with toddlers, keep them fed and safe, and … Continue reading →

Navigating the Holidays With Your Toddler

Christmas is just around the corner, and this means lots of travel with your toddler in tow. In order to make your visits with friends and family as fun as possible for you and your toddler, keep the following tips in mind. These are things that I learned over the past couple of years with Dylan, and I am going to rely on these strategies again this year as I head out of town with Dylan and Blake for a couple of days. One very helpful tip is to keep your activities as close as possible to your toddler’s schedule. … Continue reading →

Feeding Your Toddler is Easier Than You Think

Many of us grew up in homes where we were admonished to eat our veggies, clean our plates, and do any number of other things that we really did not want to do at mealtime. Today, the wisdom on feeding toddlers has changed in ways that make it a lot less stressful for parents. It turns out that children will naturally choose a varied and balanced diet over time, if there are nutritious foods available for them to choose from. Some days (or weeks) it may seem like your toddler won’t touch anything besides buttered noodles or peanut butter and … Continue reading →

How to Get the Ya Ya’s Out

It’s cold outside, even if it is not snowing. It seems like we have spent most of our time indoors for a few months, now. If you are the parent of an active toddler, then you will probably agree that you miss outdoor play as much as I do. Not only is it healthy for kids to play outside, there are plenty of opportunities for them to run, jump, climb, and otherwise make good use of their boundless energy. Now that play time has primarily moved indoors, our active toddlers need one or more outlets for all of that energy. … Continue reading →

Toddlers and the News

Today, a terrible thing happened in Connecticut. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and the community who are affected by the school shooting. Their loss is being felt around the world. Unfortunately, there seems to be no shortage of terrible things happening lately. Even in a home where there is no television outside of DVDs and PBS, I am always aware of the horrifying things that are going on in the world thanks to Facebook and email. As an adult, I do not mind being exposed to news, even news of tragedies, because it is important to be … Continue reading →