Reply to Best toddler tips you have or have received from parents with "good kids"

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[quote=Anonymous]Best advice as a parent:

-prioritize their sleep/rest. Everyone is happier and calmer and healthier when they've had enough sleep. My kids had a consistent daily nap at home in their crib/bed and went to bed no later than 7pm each night when they were toddlers. Even once they dropped the nap around age 3-4, we still kept a consistent daily rest time where they were either playing quietly in their room by themselves or I was reading to them or doing puzzles with them or something that was quiet and restful.

-make sure they get lots of outdoor time and time to run around and get energy out. Even when it's rainy or really cold or really hot, we'd try to get outside for at least a little while each day. Let them have plenty of unstructured/"free play" time instead of overscheduling with things like toddler gymnastics or baby music class or playdates or whatever.

-be present with them instead of being on your phone or otherwise distracted. Give them your full attention and time as much as you can. But give yourself enough time for rest/breaks too and when you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed or frustrated with your child, give yourself a little break before reacting to what your child is doing. Listen to what they are saying. Play with them and read to them.

-eat healthy and provide lots of snacks and small meals throughout the day instead of making toddlers wait to eat. A lot of times for us, a meltdown could be avoided by providing a snack break. I always kept things like clementines, cut up fruit and vegetables, cheese slices/cubes around for this purpose. (Still do even now that my kids are older).

-have simple, consistent rules and boundaries in place that are easy for child to understand/follow/remember and make sure they know the rules of a place before you go (for example, I'd have to tell my kids when we went to my grandmother's house what they were allowed to touch/do ahead of time so they understood expectations before we even got there)

-Be kind but firm and consistent. the more upset/out of control/wild they get, the calmer you should get. You have to remain calm and not raise your voice. Repeat the same rule/expectation consistently in a calm/neutral way. Provide lots of affection/hugs and kindness to them in these moments where they are losing control so that they feel safe in expressing their feelings to you but still be clear what kind of behavior you will not tolerate.

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