Handling a tough toddler is never easy, but one big plus is being able to maintain your cool and be patient. Ha ha! Easier said than done, parents everywhere yell. It is hard to contain your frustration, but toddlers are prone to mirroring back your emotions. They feed off your energy, so whether it is a positive or negative energy can have a definite affect on the child and how he or she responds to you.
Handling your difficult toddler isn’t as simple and quick as saving money at the office. Finding valuable business coupon is as simple as running some rudimentary Internet searches. Employing some searching savvy gets you business software coupons lightening-fast. You probably feel comfortable with these steps because you’re familiar with them; it’s nothing new or difficult. Learning to deal with a toddler isn’t too much different, really, you need to follow simple steps and keep your cool.
A first strategy is to teach ahead of time what you want your toddler to do. If you are trying to teach your child to get into the car seat without fighting you, consider “practicing” getting into the car seat in the house. Try bringing the car seat in, or if that isn’t convenient, have fun making a pretend car seat. Make it fun! Make it a game. When you teach your desired response ahead of time, it prepares the toddler mind to obey when you actually need your child to perform. Give praise liberally, making the practice sessions fun.
Another thing to try is to simply describe to your toddler a behavior you want from him or her, and then describe the corresponding reward or consequence. Perhaps you give a small piece of candy (just one!) each time the child sits on the potty chair. By laying out the expectation ahead of time, this isn’t actually “bribery.” It is setting up a positive consequence for a positive behavior you wish to encourage. You could also employ a time out if the child does not perform the behavior you wish to encourage. In short and concise statements describe the desired response, and encourage this response before a release from time out.
These are just a few tips you can use to help get a better handle on your misbehaving toddler.