| One of the things I've noticed about parenting toddlers | | | | and she would have to take care of the change by |
| is that kids can be very demanding. Not only will they | | | | herself. |
| make demands of you, but their demands can get | | | | All too often, kids want their parents to do everything |
| increasingly specific. It almost seems like they are doing | | | | for them. They will push hard to test the boundaries. |
| it on purpose jut to see how far they can push things. | | | | They want to see how far they can make us go to |
| One of my daughters is a great example of this | | | | please them. Don't let this get you mad - that won't |
| behavior. I remember how she would be when she | | | | help. Instead, just remember that this is perfectly |
| was about 3 years old. She would wake up early and | | | | natural for kids to behave this way. Your best bet is to |
| I'd take her downstairs to have breakfast together. | | | | simply show them how to take action for themselves, |
| She'd tell me she wanted cereal for breakfast, so I'd | | | | and solve their own problems. |
| get out the Cheerios. Then she's tell me, "No I want | | | | One thing to remember is that toddlers will often be |
| Raisin Bran" After I switched cereals, I grabbed bowl. | | | | upset if you say "No" to them without offering a |
| She's tell me, "No I want the yellow bowl, not the | | | | solution. Instead of saying "No, I'm not getting you the |
| orange one" How can you ever win? | | | | orange bowl", it's better to say, "I see you want the |
| In the beginning I wasn't worried about this. It was no | | | | orange bowl - and you can have it. All you need to do |
| big deal, and it wasn't worth a fight. But soon | | | | is go get it from that drawer over there". This way |
| afterward I realized I was going to have to show her | | | | you're giving your child a solution while still firmly |
| how to make her own decisions and how to be | | | | avoiding doing it for them. |
| responsible for her own choices. After I came to that | | | | If you don't offer a solution, then you're probably putting |
| realization, I started making her do things for herself if | | | | up a roadblock - and inviting a fight. Offering a solution, |
| she changed her mind. | | | | but not carrying it out for your child, forces them to |
| Say she told me she wanted Raisin Bran in the orange | | | | take the appropriate responsibility and gets them to |
| bowl. If she later decided that she actually wanted the | | | | take action. Toddlers test boundaries all the time. It's a |
| yellow bowl, it was her problem to solve. I would simply | | | | normal part of learning. When you start to understand |
| tell her, "Sure sweetie - you can go get whatever bowl | | | | this, things get easier. It becomes easier to redirect |
| you want from the drawer". Problem solved. Early on | | | | things towards finding a solution that your child can |
| she would fuss and ask me to get it for her, but I didn't. | | | | participate in. |
| I was firm and polite about how she changed her mind | | | | |