Toddler Behaviours: Parenting Advice for New Parents

Toddlers abound in huge emotions, curiosity, and vitality. Their travels teach them about limits, communication, and emotional management. Although this is an exciting period, parents may find it demanding and overwhelming. Toddler Behaviours!

Essential Guide for Toddler Behaviours

Here’s an essential guide for deciphering toddler behaviour and some ideas for smoothing the road.

1. Why Young Children Act Out? Supporting Parenting

Toddlers are in a stage of development when they are testing limits and growing in their independence. When they don’t obtain what they want or struggle with the expression of their emotions, they could act out. Remember, they are learning how to handle their emotions; they are not doing it to annoy you on intent.

Typical causes of toddler misbehaviour include:

• Frustration: They could need more vocabulary/words to state what they require clearly.
• Tiredness: Lack of sleep can make any young child irritable.
• Hunger: One commonly finds a cranky toddler to be hungry.
• Overstimulation: This can result from too much noise, activity, or novel events.

2. How should one handle tantrums? Toddler Behaviours

Tantrums are common toddler behaviours. They could occur anywhere, at the shop, in the car, or at home. A tantrum also calls for calm. Breathe deeply, and remember that toddlers learn to manage their emotions through this process.

Advice on managing tantrums:

• Remain calm: reacting angrily could aggravate the matter.
• Speak in plain terms: Say, “I understand you’re upset.” Let’s pause to calm down.
• Safe Environment: Sometimes, allowing children to scream it out in a safe environment helps.
• Embrace it Out: Sometimes, a consoling embrace can make a tremendous difference.

3. Clearly defining limits- Toddler Behaviours

Toddlers have to learn what is acceptable and unacceptable. Establishing consistent, unambiguous limits enables them to feel safe.

Be firm but gentle. For instance, when your child throws their toys, you can say, “We don’t throw toys.” Let’s play lightly and model for them.

Remember these pointers while establishing limits:

• Should a rule be required, always follow it consistently.
• Toddlers might not grasp everything; hence, even basic explanations like “We don’t hit because it hurts” can assist.
• When your child listens or acts the right way, compliment them. Positive attention encourages good behaviour to be repeated.

 4. Promoting Interaction- Parent Child Relationship – Toddler Behaviours

Toddlers are still developing their ability to communicate and express themselves. Talk to them often using simple words to help them improve their communication abilities. Read together, name objects, and describe what you are doing. They learn better the more words they come across.

Strategies for promoting communication:

• Ask questions. Little queries like “Do you want an apple or a banana?” helped kids learn to make decisions.
• Tell them you are listening even if their language is too complex for you.
• Say, “Yes, that’s your ball,” if your child says “ba” for the ball. This complements their efforts.

5. Dealing with Aggressive Conduct- Toddler Behaviours

Toddlers are not unusual in striking, biting, or pushing. They could do this out of excitement, irritation, or just because they struggle to communicate themselves. When this occurs, react calmly yet forcefully.

Steps for controlling aggressive behaviour:

• Deal with it right away: Say, “We don’t hit. It hurts.” Then, help them express their emotions in a healthier manner.
• Instruct substitutes: Show children how to better communicate their anger—stomp their feet or use words like “I’m mad.”
• Model Soft Behaviour: Show them compassion and speak softly so they can grow by example.

6. Teaching Your Toddler Emotional Control- Toddler Behaviours

Toddlers require assistance controlling their intense emotions. Teach your toddler appropriate, healthy ways to communicate their feelings.

Advice on emotional management:

• List their emotions: Say, “I see you’re upset,” or “You look happy!” This clarifies their sensations for them.
• Teach relaxing methods: They might relax by counting to three or deep breathing.
• Calm down area: Establish a calm-down area for your child to unwind in a cosy space featuring their favourite book or toy.

7. Supporting Autonomy- Parenting Styles

Toddlers adore saying, “I do it!” Let children try basic chores, such as putting on their shoes or assisting in toy pickup, to promote their independence. Though it takes more time, it increases their confidence and skill set.

Strategies for fostering autonomy:

• Provide options: Let them decide among two choices. “Do you wish to sport the red or blue shirt?”
• Honour their initiatives: Comment on their effort even if they fall short. “Great work trying to put on your shoes!”
• Be patient: They learn that mistakes are inevitable.

Conclusion-Top Tips

Toddler parenting can present unexpected challenges. They laugh for one minute and then start crying. Recall that this phase is primarily for your mutual learning.

Be slow with your child and with yourself. Honour the little victories and remember it’s acceptable to seek assistance as required.

Visit Parenting Genie to access Parenting Live Experts or Genie Chat for further parenting ideas and advice. Both Parenting Live Experts and Genie Chat are available 24/7 to answer any parenting questions.

You can also book one on one Zoom consultation with a Maternal Child Health Nurse.

Parenting Genie also offers a comprehensive online toddler parenting course that you can do at your own pace. Enroll today and start bonding with your toddler.

The Raising Children website has insights on toddler behaviours.