Tag Archives: toddlers

The Ups and Downs of Toddler Development

If you think that life with your toddler seems to be full of ups and downs, you are right. Children actually pass through cycles of equilibrium and disequilibrium, changing from one to the other about every six months. I wish that I had learned about this a lot sooner, because understanding the cycle of equilibrium and disequilibrium has given me a new perspective on toddler behavior that just might help me to have a little more patience with my boys. When a child is in disequilibrium, he is actively growing, changing, and learning new skills. Intense behavioral changes are also … 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 →

Life Provides Many Lessons

As I sit here thinking about the day that my boys and I just enjoyed at home, I realize that without any effort, we have all learned quite a bit. There was no lesson plan, we just woke up and started the day with our usual morning routine of making breakfast. As I made breakfast, Dylan chose to stay in bed and watch Clifford. Although he was awake, he said that he still felt tired. At that point, he was learning to recognize a feeling in his body and to choose an action based upon what he felt that his … Continue reading →

Snowy Days are Here Again

It’s cold outside right now, and as Dylan sleeps the night away, it is snowing like crazy. We have not had much snow at all yet this winter, and winter in Vermont is normally associated with snow and plenty of it. It is possible that this storm will bring anywhere between six and eighteen inches of snow to our home. Tomorrow morning, Dylan is sure to be excited when he sees what happened overnight. He loves to be outdoors, even in the snow and the cold. If you have a toddler or two at home, chances are that your little … 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 →

Toddler Craft Idea – Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

A few days ago, I was able to find time to do a fun holiday craft with Dylan while Blake was napping. It was a Saturday, and we had a few hours to spend at home before we went to a birthday party later that afternoon. I had been thinking about making salt dough Christmas ornaments for a few days, and it seemed like just the right time to do it. There are many different versions of the salt dough Christmas ornament recipe online. I used a simple recipe of two cups of flour, one cup of salt, and a … Continue reading →

The Word “Maybe” Drives Me Crazy

For some reason lately, Dylan has become enamored with the word “maybe”. If he asks me for something and I say “no”, he pleads with me and asks me to say “maybe” instead. I’m not sure where he got that idea from, as I have been very careful not to use “maybe” with him. At the very least, I have been careful not to use it incorrectly. Of course, many of you might wonder what the big deal is. What’s wrong with “maybe”? I think that I summed up my feelings on “maybe” the other day, albeit during not one … Continue reading →