Entertain and Educate Your Toddler

As you know, it seems toddlers have a never ending supply of energy, problem is they aren’t old enough to keep themselves entertained. So, how do you keep a toddler entertained? Fortunately it doesn’t take a lot to entertain a toddler but you don’t just want to entertain him/her you want to help them grow developmentally.

There are lots of fun-filled activities you and your toddler can do together and both of you find enjoyment in.

Nature Walks: Educational and a lot of fun too. Let your little one collect some outdoor treasures to take home. While out on your walk show them the bright, colorful flowers or the different types and colors of leaves. Take the time to use the flowers as a subtle lesson in colors. Use the leave or sticks to teach opposites like little and big. Take your time and enjoy your walk. Not only will your toddler enjoy being outside for a bit but the walk will be refreshing and re-energizing for you as well.

Bake Cookies: Yes, cooking can be a big messy but just think about the smiles you’ll get to capture on film. That should be worth the clean up. Cooking is another fun and educational activity. A toddler even as young as two can enjoy it. Keep in mind, it really doesn’t matter how good or bad the cookies end up looking or tasting, the point is to have some fun and educational learning time shared with your little one. Narrate what you are doing. Name each ingredient and measurement outloud. Once it done you can enjoy your delicious homemade treats. Not only are you sharing time and teaching your are making some wonderful memories for your kids.

Water Play: Fill a small tub with water. Place several multiple size containers in the tub. Allowing your toddler to pour water from one container to another builds eye-hand coordination. Another thing you can do it is teach a little science by giving your toddler some objects that will float and some that will sink. Want a little more fun? Just add a little bubbles to the mixture and your toddler will have even more fun!

Create Your Baby’s First Photo Book: Try creating a special photo book for your baby. Print up some pictures and fill it with pictures of your toddler, family members and relatives who may live some distance from you. Write each one’s names under the picture or a term which they know them by such as brother or daddy. Talk about who each person is, where they come from or where they live.

Paper Tearing: Find a couple of old magazines or catalogs and let your toddler tear pages out, we all know how much toddlers like to tear pages. You can to get him/her to tear out shapes but it might just be easier if you let him/her have fun and tear it out however he/she wants. Depending on y our toddlers age, say you have an older toddler, you can teach him/her to use toddler scissors to cut out shapes.

Toddlers are constantly learning about their world around them. Take advantage of this great learning time and have fun with your toddler at the same time. The great thing is, you don’t have to do anything elaborate. Toddlers are easily entertained and will find wonder and amazement in even the smallest of things. Enjoy these years and give your toddler the gifts of education and family bonding time.

Coping with the “MINE” Syndrome

If you’re the parent of a toddler I’m sure at some point you have experienced the “MINE” syndrome as I call it. You know what I mean, the stage your little one goes there where everything is theirs and they refuse to share. If you haven’t, I’m sure it’s not far from coming then.

The first thing you should know is that your toddler is experiencing a very normal part of development. Even the most reasonable toddler will not want to share their precious things at some point.

As embarrassing or difficult as this can be don’t get too discouraged by their behavior and don’t blame yourself or your parenting skills. Take comfort in knowing that this is simply part of your toddler’s development and is helping her prepare for her next stage of life.

The good news is you can gently deter this situation even before it starts. Here are a few tips to help you out:

Distraction Technique - Distract your child with another toy or ask her to come and join you to play on the swings, etc. without making a big deal about sharing. This will often work as toddlers get bored quickly and she’ll probably appreciate the distraction.

Nip it in the Bud – Anytime two toddlers are playing together it’s best to keep a close eye on things. As soon as you see a potential situation about to erupt, dive in there and break it up. Tempt your child with a more interesting toy or show them a fun new game.

If your child is playing nicely and another child is trying to take her things then distract that child. Find something similar or a close replacement to what your child has and offer it to them. Tell them how great it is, of course, don’t overdo it or then you’ll have two toddlers fighting over this new and wonderful toy you’re talking about.

Walk Away – If things get really bad and your child refuses to give back a toy to their crying owner then it’s time to take action. Gently pick up your child and walk away. They may kick and scream but remember YOU are in charge. Take him to a quite corner or space and wait for him to calm down. Then give him a hug and explain that you know he really wanted that toy but that it belongs to someone else.

Chances are your child isn’t going to understand or accept the meaning of this but you’ve now diffused the situation and can continue to play happily.

The Aftermath – After the fact it’s great to talk things over with your child and explain why it’s important to share, but be realistic. Most toddlers won’t understand the concept of sharing or why they should do it and all the talking in the world isn’t going to change things at least until they get a little bit older.

The best way is often to avoid and / or distract your toddler. This will help diffuse
a lot of incidents before they even start.

Avoiding Toddler Tantrums

The terrible twos . . . Public toddler meltdowns can make even the most dignified parent red-faced and wanting to be swallowed into the ground.

Here are a few tip to help in avoiding toddler tantrums:

Don’t Let Them Get Over Tired – Set a regular nap routine and try to stick to it, and make sure he goes to bed at a reasonable time and gets enough sleep during the night. Tiredness is often the main reason for a tantrum. Keep in mind, this happens to us adults too when we are tired, we easily get frustrated so, how much more so for your two year old.

Keep Sugar Levels Stable - Don’t let your toddler’s blood sugar levels dip too low. This will make him irritable and tired. Make sure he has plenty of small nutritious snacks throughout the day to provide him with a steady source of energy to avoid blood sugar dips.

Give Them Time - Allow enough time for activities like getting dressed, brushing their hair and getting in and out of the car. Your toddler will want to do a lot of these things on his own and rushing him is a sure way to set off a tantrum. Let him try to be independent as he wants and give him the extra time he’ll need.

Put it Away – Is there a certain item that always causes your toddler to have a tantrum? A food that’s only for after dinner or an item he shouldn’t have. Put it where he can’t see it. Out of sight for a toddler usually means out of mind, which is a great way of avoiding tantrums.

Give Him a Hug – Many times your child just needs to be held and needs you to help him control his emotions. If he’s in the middle of a tantrum try gently hugging him and just hold him. A lot of the times this will completely diffuse the tantrum. Be sensitive to his reactions and if you see your hug is only making him more upset then give him a little space instead or try a different approach.

Hope these little tips help out with your two year difficult stage and make it easier on everyone involved.