There is no doubt about it…life for a toddler can be a bit tricky! Big emotions to handle, big decisions to make and big skills to learn!
Here are my 5 top toddler tips:
1) Offer your toddler lots of simple choices about the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of life. This will help them to feel in control, and tap into that love of being a ‘big’ girl/boy now.
2) When you catch a meltdown in its early stages, try to distract your toddler with lots of silliness, imaginative stories and play! Everyone has an inner Children’s T.V. Presenter! Now is a good time to tap into yours!
3) Try to use instructions instead of questions. If you say, “are you going to climb into bed now?”, your toddler is perfectly within their rights to say, “no.” Doh! Instead, try, “it’s time to get into bed now. Would you like to hop in like a frog or whoosh in like a rocket ship?”
4) If your toddler is displaying a behaviour that is not acceptable to you, it’s OK to say, ‘no’. But, let them know that the big emotion that led to the behaviour is OK.
5) If your toddler has gone over into a big emotional meltdown, and you know it’s pointless trying to reason or connect with them, simply ‘Hold Space’. This is when you stay calm, centred and present, to help your little one regulate these BIG feelings. It may take a while, but they will always know that there is a big cuddle waiting for them whenever they are ready.