- 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
- community & groups
- 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
From Our Sponsors
- 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.
In a Toddler's World ...
10 Things Toddlers Know and Adults Don't By Gina Roberts-Grey
The terrible 2s and trying 3s can be wildly confusing for parents. Between trying to potty train, transitioning from babyish to childlike behavior and coming to terms with the fact your baby is becoming an independent person, the keenly unique toddler perspective can send a parent over the edge.
Toddlers have their own viewpoint of the world. They are playful, highly imaginative and extremely inquisitive. The unending barrage of toddler buzz words such as "why" and "no" coupled with his unwavering desire to put anything and everything into the DVD or VCR can leave the most resilient parent scratching her head.
Understanding yourtoddler's perspective on life gives you insight into what motivates him to react with his enthusiastic toddler flair. Looking at the world through his eyes may actually help you see him better.Consider these toddler perspectives:
1. There really are monsters in the room. The next time he deploys the "I'm scared of the dark" routine to stall bedtime, take a moment to see your child's room through his eyes in the dark. Silhouettes of items on a shelf or dresser may seem terribly frightening. The ticking of his clock, whirring of the ceiling fan and humming of the furnace are easily envisioned as monsters hiding in the closet or under the bed. It is not instinctive to walk calmly into the unknown, and to a 2 -year-old, going into a dark room is very scary. Age and maturity usually ease his fears of the dark, but adding a nightlight or checking the drawers for monsters can be the difference between bedtime tears or pleasant dreams.
2. It's too cold. Susan Young's 2--year-old son's Goldilocks complex was becoming quite perplexing. "He would complain that his food was too hot, the water was too cold and so on," says the Otis Orchards, Wash., mom. "Everything needed attention and an explanation." Although these excuses are tiring,you may be surprised to learn that the water in the shower feels colder to a 3-foot-tall toddler than it does to a 6-foot-tall adult. If you're convinced his complaints are a tactic to avoid acquainting his hard earned dirty elbows and knees with a bar of soap, try sitting down in the shower tomorrow morning. You'll see it's cooler down at his level than when you're standing up closer to the showerhead.