- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Toddler Time
The Importance of One-on-one Time with Toddlers
By Teri Brown
As everyone knows toddlers are all about the me. Though parents hear "me" and "mine" all the time, toddlers love nothing more than "me time" with their parents. One-on-one time where Mom or Dad is giving them their complete and total attention is the toddler dream.
Debbie Caldwell, a mother of two from Lancaster, Calif., recalls the alone time she had with her toddlers fondly. It was so important she would schedule it in. "I would schedule out in my daytimer Sunday night all the things I wanted to do with them throughout the week," Caldwell says. "After leaving the workforce, I thought my cherished daytimer would no longer be needed, but boy, was I wrong. It helped me stay focused on daily home life, which I wasn't used to."
Caldwell grew up in a single parent household and knew that wasn't what she wanted for her own children. "I didn't know what I was going to do when I grew up, but I knew when I had children, whatever it took, I was going to be there for them daily," Caldwell says. "I never returned to executive sales after I was pregnant."
Caldwell made up many creative ways to spend time with her toddlers including cloud time, where she would set a timer and they would go outside and watch the clouds until the timer went off. She would also have picnic lunches all over the house – she says vinyl table cloths are perfect for catching toddler messes and accidents.
"As trying as it is sometimes, I love being a mom!" Caldwell says.
Nina Sazer O'Donnell, the director of National Strategies, Success By 6, part of the United Way of America, says me time is all about connecting with your child in a loving way.
