Raising a toddler can be rewarding, fun, exciting and challenging at times. Dealing with the best approached in minding your child is important, It will highly affect his Psychological, physiological, and social development.
Survival Guidelines in Raising Toddlers
A. Always stay safe
- Child proof your house. Never, ever leave your baby unattented, A young mind is always very curious to try anything. CPR techniques and first aid kit are a must have.
B. Connecting with other parents
- Joining a club. try to creates friendship. exchanging and sharing tips in raising a toddler. Get some ideas on kid-friendly places, shopping deals, or swap baby sitting schedules.
C. Self time
- A basic, important survival tip for parents. Meditation, can go a long way, a best time to give for yourself . Going out for a walk. nurturing a hobby, or just simply take a break will refresh you.
D. Handling tantrum
- It is important to stay calm, (The more he screams, the more you get calmer). Take a deep breath. Soothe or hug him,
a song, or something to distract him. Offer choices limited in to two. Give warnings so he knows what to expect.
E. Couple's life
- Make time for each other. Listen and Talk. Go out for a date, ( you can arrange a baby sitting duty for a night out).
F. De - clutters
- Encourage your child to clean up with you, Make it fun by singing a song or turn it in to a game. Get plenty of storage or large containers so you can put toys all together. Give away those toys he have upgrowned. Rotate toys so they are not all outside at once.
G. Say NO
- Do not ask yes or no question, This likely lead to tantrums. Instead, give a limit to her choices, eg; Would you like brocolli or peas for dinner ?.
Try not to say NO each time or changed it to NO, THANK YOU. Be firm when you said No, and that means No. mean it without negotiation. Set limits and Give advance warning, The child needs to know what to be expected in him, and his consequences.
G. Go Out as much as you can
- A change of scenery can be rejuvenating to everyone, A trip to the park or to the supermarket can change both of your moods. Nurture his hobby, eg; (If he is fond with trains, take him to the railroad tracks, a dinosaur enthusiast, or a trip to the store that sells his favourite toys).
H. Take a break when both of you are feeling frustrated
- Calm down, whatever it is. Take a deep breath, close your eyes for few seconds or leave the room, (but make sure he doesn't hurt himself, or remove the things that will possibly hurt him).
I. Set up a Routine
- Daily routine can save time, energy and a possible tantrums. It is essential for young children. The schedule helps them to know what to expect next, It also gives time to parent to do other house chores.
J. Mind your Manners
- Be an example of what you would want your child to approach things, He looks up to you as a Model, (like for example the tone of your voice, if its a yelling voice or a talking voice).
K. Cleaning up
- Make it a part of your every day thing. Help others, They learn by watching, when an opportunity strikes, Don't hesitate to show your child how to help, (eg; a child needs a push on the swing , offer a help).
It is not easy to raise a toddler, neither its not easy to be a toddler, But getting the right approach will certainly help you making parenting a bit easy. It is rewarding and truly a work of heart and love to be a parent.
I am not an expert in Parenting, nor i don't have a degree for child psychology, But mostly applied this guidelines from my many years of working as a Nanny.
I would love to know what you think.
I hope you find this helpful and interesting. Thank you.
