Parenting Blog

A toddler will learn more at age two than at any other time in their life. The childcare giver, be it Mom or someone else can influence and enhance that learning. Although you should try to spend as much time interacting with your little one by playing, reading, or any other form, sometimes it just isn’t possible. 

What do you or the childcare provider do when in this situation? Maybe there are other children to tend to, or you have a work assignment that you have to get finished. Some television is ok, but it is not recommended to let them watch too much TV. Childcare experts will tell you this slows their learning. However, there are plenty of toys and activities that can keep your little one interested and occupied for short periods of time.

Every Mom, Dad, or childcare provider needs a moment here and there for a variety of reasons.

Toddlers love putting things in and taking things out. It is a learning process for them at the same time. You can buy toys like a container that has open slots shaped to fit different pieces that they will fit through the holes. There are many different types of toys like this on the market that you can choose from.

On the other hand, the parent or childcare giver can simply make them with things you probably already have around the house. Try an empty, plastic peanut butter jar. These are perfect sized for little hands. Clean it out with soap and water, and let it dry. Next find some small items (not small enough to put in their mouth and choke on, though), that they can drop in and dump out.

You can use the same container, and put a few different twists on it.

One, try gluing the lid on or ensuring in another way that the lid can not be removed. Before attaching the lid add in some small items that will create a nice rattling, or shaking sound. Pennies and dried beans are some good examples of what you can use. This will provide a new, interesting object that they can shake for noise and see the contents shaking all around.

Another easy thing for the childcare giver to do is use it for snacks. Depending on the age of your little one, the snacks will vary. Grapes are a great finger snack that is cool to the touch. These should be ok for two years old, but probably not a one year old. Just ensure you are in the same room in the small chance they do choke on it. You can put a few graham cracker pieces in it. A graham cracker usually breaks into four equal sections, and is the perfect size to fit into your peanut butter jar.

The next time you need a few moments to yourself try one of these simple, cheap ideas. Better yet, offer these ideas to the person you have appointed as the childcare provider. They will thank you for it!

Do you remember the day that you first felt the excitement of riding off into the wind on your bike without training wheels or someone holding onto the bike? It was as if someone just opened the door to a whole new world of wide open freedom. Now that you have your own little one, you will be able to be on the giving end of this amazing feeling. If you are not sure how to start teaching them to ride a bike, here are some things to know and keep in mind.

The unrivaled feeling you felt when you first realized you were riding your bike all by yourself was most likely after much nervousness. Remember that it is totally normal and okay when your little one is nervous and shows that they are scared. This is a whole new ball game for them. Surely they will be excited to know they will soon be able to ride their bikes as all the older kids do, but they will probably be hesitant at the same time.

Do your best to encourage and let them know that you are there. Tell them that everyone was a little scared when they first started learning to ride a bike, and that it is okay. You will want them to feel reassured and safe. Make sure they know you are right there with them the whole time.

You should always pick a place to do this that has a smooth surface. You’ll also want to make sure there is plenty of space so you don’t have to constantly turn, but be able to ride straight for a few minutes. It can be frustrating when your little one feels they are getting the hang of simply balancing themselves, and then have to constantly be turning because you ran out of room.

It should go without saying to make sure they always wear safety gear, especially their helmet. It is probably against the law to ride without one as it is in most places. In the first few days they will probably welcome the idea of wearing knee and elbow pads as well. The fear of falling is going to be in their mind and this may make comfort them to a degree. However, after they get a hang of it don’t bet on seeing them in full safety gear very often!

Show your child how to place their feet on the pedals and have them to slowly start riding. They will want to know that you are right there, so be sure to reassure them. Tell them that you will be beside them the whole time holding onto the bike, until they think they are ready to try for a minute on their own. Now days there are even “training bars” that can attach to the back of the bike so you can easily hold onto them without killing your back.

Don’t expect too much as it may take days, weeks, or months before they get the hang of it. Everyone will learn at a different pace. Praise them when they do well, comfort and reassure them when they fall, and before you know it your little one will be riding into the wind all on their own.

There is not a universal answer as to when you should move your precious little one out of the crib into their own bed. Only you will know when you feel is the right time. Most little ones make this transition between 18 months and three years old. However, there are quite a few circumstances that may be pushing you in that direction.

One may be that there is a new baby on the way who will be needing to use the crib. If this is the case try not to kick your toddler out of the crib too suddenly. You don’t want them to feel that they are being set aside or forced out of the way for their new brother or sister. Gradually work on the transition and allow plenty of time to do so. This means don’t wait until Mom is in labor to do it! Give yourself at least a few months so your toddler will have time to adjust and won’t feel second best to the new baby.

If they are beginning to climb out of their crib, it may be time to start mapping out your plans for their transition. Safety can become an important factor at this stage. If the rails on the crib are meeting up mid-way to high on their chest, they should be moving to their own bed more than likely. Climbing out becomes increasingly easier and will increase the risk of injury at this point.

If your little toddler is potty training or has already been basically potty trained, it only makes sense for them to be sleeping in a bed. They will need the freedom to get in and out of bed when they need to so they can go use the potty.

Once you have decided that it is time for the big occasion, remember that you will need to have a big pool of understanding. There are several ways to try to get your little one excited about the change.

Talk about the big change well in advance of actually implementing it. Try to get a sense of excitement built up around the occasion. If your little one has a favorite cartoon or such, you may try sprucing up the new bed with sheets and pillows of that character. Take your toddler shopping with you and let them see all of the wonderful, new choices they have now that they will be sleeping in a real bed. Let them help you pick out what will go on the bed.

If you can, you may want to place the bed in the exact same place that the crib was at. This will allow your little one to keep a feeling of security. They will be in the same surroundings, and have the same views.

You can even try just using a mattress on the floor. Toddler beds normally have the same size mattress so you can even begin the transition by using the crib mattress on the floor. Once they are accustomed to this, and then transfer the mattress into a toddler bed frame.

The transition out of the crib is a milestone and can be a delightful experience. Just make sure that your toddler is ready and carry around lots of patience and understanding in your pocket!

You may have recently started to see your little one get down on their belly and purposely bang their head on the floor. Chances are higher if you have a little boy, as boys are usually much more likely to go through this phase. There is probably no need to worry about it as there are many little ones who will do this.

Possible causes of a toddler banging their head can be both emotional and physical. Sometimes you may be able to tell which one is probably the case, but other times it may just seem random. Either way, by the age of three or so, they will probably have outgrown it.

Your little one may be banging their head simply to gain your attention. Since you probably are concerned and make a fuss over it when you see this happening, they may continue to do so. They begin to understand that it will get your attention and cause reactions from you.

Giving your little one plenty of love and attention on a daily basis may help reduce the head banging if this is the case. When they are not banging their head make sure they feel they are loved and important. During the times when they do bang their head try to not over-react to it. While you will understandably be concerned about it, try not to make a big deal or a make a noticeable fuss about it. Your little one will see how much attention they get from it and will likely do it more often.

If your toddler is in the middle of what seems to be a tantrum, and starts banging their head, it could very well be out of frustration. They may be unable to communicate to you what they wish they could say and banging their head can oddly be a comfort to them.

Sometimes banging their head can be a temporary fix to something that is bothering them physically. If they have an ear infection or something else that is hurting, the slight pain from banging their head may distract from the primary pain.

Normally a toddler will not bang their hard enough to actually hurt themselves. Even if they seem to be banging their head hard, they will usually start easing up if it is causing much pain. They may end up with a bruise here and there but more often that not, there is no cause for major concern.

However, in fewer cases the head banging in a toddler can be something to be concerned about. If they seem to be banging their head a lot and consistently you may want to take a second look as to what is going on. Also, if they continue to hit their head hard enough that it is really hurting them, and they do it anyways you should be looking more into it.

Head banging can be related to autism, and other disorders, but will be among other signs. Your toddler’s head banging alone will rarely signal cause for concern. If there are other signs you have noticed, or if your little one is not coming anywhere near common milestones, you should talk to your pediatrician about it.

Although you may not appreciate it much at all when your little one tosses their ravioli across the room, you should understand what is probably running through that little head of theirs. Toddlers love when they start discovering new things. Throwing is only one of the many exciting discoveries they will be making.

Sure, they may not know what the word gravity means but they definitely can be fascinated with the way it works. They are learning that everything they are able to throw will always come down. They are developing amazing motor skills that allow them to grasp something, and know when to release that grasp to effectively throw it.

Try not to punish them for this discovery unless it is putting them, you, or someone in danger. Of course, what they throw can play an important role in what is acceptable. If they are choosing to throw their toy truck in the living room, that will likely end in something being broken, try to redirect them to something suitable to throw.

Stock up on plenty of light and small balls that can safely be tossed around the house. When you see your little about to throw that toy truck, gently take it from and tell him that trucks are not for throwing. Give them one of the indoor balls and tell him it is ok to throw it.

Your little one will learn what is ok to throw and what isn’t. A great way for them to do this is to play tossing games with them, and let them naturally see that these balls are for throwing. If you have an empty box, or even a clothes basket, you can set it a few feet away on the floor. Then spend a little time taking turns, playing and tossing the soft balls into the basket.

Your toddler may develop the frustrating habit of throwing things in frustration. This may be throwing things at you or simply across the room during a tantrum, or throwing rocks and sand at you or someone while outside. If this happens try to be calm, although I know that can be difficult. At first don’t make a big deal out of it and they may actually see that it does not get them any attention. Then they won’t be likely to repeat it. However, in some cases they may repeat it anyways.

If this happens try to lead them to communicate their frustration in another way. Tell them it is not ok to throw these, or to throw in that situation. It may be necessary to tell them no, and lead them away from the situation in a small time out. Remember, you don’t want a time out to be too long or they will lose focus on why they are in time out.

Your little one will eventually learn what is ok to throw and what isn’t. They will surely love it if you spend a little bit of time each day playing tossing games as described above. This is a fascinating new skill and who wants to take away such an exciting new time from their little one?