Did you know that around 50% of child emergency room visits are by children under three? If you are raising toddlers, you may feel anxious about their safety, development, and well-being.
During the toddler stage, you can expect your child to learn how to walk, throw temper tantrums, and become more independent. Because toddlers are developing so much, teaching them how to process their emotions and surroundings is essential.
What are some of the best toddler parenting tips? Keep reading to learn more about taking care of a toddler.
1. Use Positive Phrasing
When caring for a toddler, one of the most important tips to keep in mind is to stay positive. When you tell a toddler not to do something, their initial reaction will be to do the opposite of what you say.
Instead of telling your toddler not to jump on their bed, encourage them to get comfy in the bed. Instead of telling them not to yell, encourage them to express their feelings. Because toddlers have strong emotions, they will react better to positivity.
2. Reward Good Behavior
Another one of the best tips for raising toddlers is to reward good behavior. Kids love positive attention from their parents, so rewarding good behavior will encourage them to behave similarly in the future.
Rewards can also boost your child’s confidence and improve their relationship with you. Some of the best ways to reward your child’s behavior are with praise, hugs, high-fives, and reading their favorite story.
You also can create a reward chart that includes incentives like going to the movies or the aquarium. You can reward your toddler for eating their food, cleaning up toys, and following directions.
3. Promote Decision Making
Because toddlers are gaining independence, allowing them to make decisions helps them feel more in control of their environment. It also can boost their confidence and make decision-making easier in the future.
To give your toddler more independence, allow them to choose between a couple of shirts, let them pick what type of fruit they want for breakfast, and allow them to choose a movie. You also can let them choose their outfit accessories, such as a toddler beanie, shoes, or scarf.
When allowing toddlers to make decisions, don’t give them too many options. More than two or three choices can cause your toddler to feel overwhelmed.
4. Stay Consistent With Discipline
While positive reinforcement is often a better option than discipline, there are times when discipline will be necessary. Disciplining your toddler is essential to team them that their actions have consequences.
It also teaches them boundaries, how to control their behavior, and how to build positive habits. Before disciplining your toddler, make sure they understand your expectations and rules.
Because toddlers are learning so much about their environment, they may need reminders and explanations on why the rules are important. Make sure your toddler understands the consequences if they break the rules.
For example, when allowing your toddler to color with crayons, inform them that coloring on the walls will result in taking away the crayons. Make sure you always praise your toddler when they follow the rules.
5. Focus on Communication
Toddler temper tantrums happen when your child is unable to express how they feel. To reduce tantrums, screaming, and hitting, focus on building communication skills.
If your toddler hits their sibling because they upset them, teach your toddler to state their feelings instead. When your toddler whines for a toy, teach them to ask for the toy.
One of the easiest ways to teach your toddler to communicate is to lead by example. Share your feelings, problems, and solutions with your toddler.
6. Involve Them in Daily Activities
To teach your toddler valuable skills, you should include them in your daily activities. Next time you head to the grocery store, take your toddler with you. You can teach them about interaction with strangers and different foods.
Next time you are cleaning the house, allow your toddler to help you dust or sweep the floor. Even though it’s easier to clean without the help of a toddler, it allows them to get involved and learn new skills.
7. Use Transition Warnings
To maintain positive communication with your toddler, try to give them transition warnings anytime you change activities. Changing activities can feel overwhelming for a toddler, resulting in tantrums.
Some examples of transition warnings include telling them about dinner ten minutes ahead of time, making a plan to clean up toys and then go to bed, or telling them about plans to visit family members soon.
Explaining an order of events to your child will improve their communication, reduce stress, and make their day more predictable.
8. Develop Healthy Eating Habits
One of the best things you can do to raise healthy children is to promote good eating habits. Toddlers can be picky eaters, rejecting food based on texture, smell, and color.
When choosing foods for your toddlers, make sure you choose nutritious foods with plenty of vitamins, iron, and calcium. Serve your toddler in small portion sizes, stay patient, and set a good example.
You can make eating time more fun by cutting food into shapes, allowing them to help prepare it, and giving the foods fun names.
To make mealtime easier, try to create a routine, give transition warnings, and make meals a happy experience.
Are You Ready to Try These Toddler Parenting Tips?
While raising toddlers can be stressful, proper parenting techniques can make it easier. Some of the best toddler parenting tips include using positive phrases, rewarding good behavior, and allowing them to make decisions.
Was this article on raising a toddler helpful? If so, check out our blog for more tips on how to be great parents.
