Parenting Through the Toddler Years
From about age one through age three, your little baby has morphed into a true toddler. Known for their big feelings, increasing awareness of their will and their cute faces, toddlers are easy to fall in love with and sometimes not know what to do with all at the same time. Parenting a toddler is not for the faint of heart, but here are three ways to help you enjoy as much of these years together.
Family Friendly Everything
The reality of having a toddler in your family is that the world simply has to revolve around them. When it comes to your daily life, always look for family friendly activities and experiences. While you might have loved going to plays, taking long walks or hikes and conversing over fancy dinners before having a child, those will not be options for awhile. Consider instead patronizing children’s theaters, going to the zoo or aquarium for your next outing and always ensuring you find family friendly dining Bronx NY.
Prioritize Routine
Just like their former infant self, toddlers thrive on routines and rhythms. As toddlers start to realize they can assert some control over their world, they depend on the familiar and consistent routines and rhythms of their parents to help keep them secure. While there is a definite need for flexibility with toddlers, building in routines for eating and sleeping is very helpful for keeping your child more regulated and thus happier.
Quality Time
The pace of life is fast for most families so try to do two things to help your child thrive socially, emotionally and mentally. First, prioritize your self-care as a parent and second, spend quality time each day with your child. While you may not have endless hours to spend with your child, dedicating 15-45 minutes each day where you unplug from technology or chores and simply be with them will go far.
Parenting toddlers is different than parenting babies and it has its greatest joys and biggest challenges. By making sure you find family friendly experiences, prioritize your child’s routine and spend quality time with your child each day you will find the toddler years to be full of memories for a lifetime.…