When our babies turn toddlers, parenting changes dramatically. They need constant attention. They need to be watched at all times because they are so curious about everything. If you do not watch them your going to end up in trouble. Simple as that, they can be clever in some very destructive ways.

During the time your child reaches the end of 2-3 years of age, the character of their true personality will begin to shine. Not that it is not always present, just that it becomes more prevalent, more defined. This will become more noticeable, day by day. It should be encouraged and nurtured for positive thought developments to build confidence. This is a crucial stage in brain development for every child. Also the longer, or further along the child is into their development, then the window of opportunity has closed that much more. Thinking of it like a sponge as it is sometimes referred to is quite convenient in describing exactly what I am trying to convey here.

If the sponge is already soaking up kool-aid and you are trying to fill it with orange juice there is only so much room for whichever liquid that is late.

During the toddler years they are the most impressionable and in a direct and literal way. Once you begin walking and talking, you are at the beginning of developing yourself, who you are and what is called thought patterns. Your very own ways of thinking, like snowflakes, these ‘thought patterns’ are unique unto every child. This is beyond even the strongest of habits. We all know how hard it is to break a habit, well, it is impossible to break or change a thought pattern. Which is exactly the reason why they are so important. You cannot just change your ways of thinking, your thought pattern imprint.

Or lets just say that, theoretically you can, but once they are developed naturally they are done for good.

But still you never get a second chance to have a first time experience with any given subject. Dressing up the positive things in life and introducing them as entertainment, something fun, will give a good first impression. This leaves a lasting impression and they suddenly have a positive association with these things. Consequently, this goes for negative things as well only in reverse. Of course common sense tells us that we must make the bad habits and activities as unattractive and unappealing as possible.

This is why, when our children become toddlers parenting becomes so critical, so very important. Introducing new ideas should be done in a positive light and with guidance meaning you need to be there. Parenting actively makes you mean more to them in such a simple way as guiding through first experiences. Being persistent with filling the cup is crucial, because the most benefit can be gained during this period in life.

It will never happen again and there are no second chances to recreate who you are and eventually becoming the person who you will be.Yet, during the toddler stage the brain is at the best possible position to take unlimited amounts of information and imprint them with ease.

The receptors in the brain dilate, they open up kind of like a pupil, and thought pattern imprints are stored in the brain.This is the only time allowable to make its impressions permanent, this strong, and this complete. Only during these toddler years are we able to collect our set of permanent imprints.This is the only stage in all of human development where this occurs naturally and completely. It is also said that after you develop your initial character of thought, those receptors needed for the allowing the impressions, never open up quite as much ever again. Anyway, the true focus of all of this is for the benefit of the child and future life.

The brain at this stage, is being most vulnerable to impressions and screaming for the need of them. You must do your best to fill those needs with the positive impressions. The best way to do this is with positive interaction. Providing positive first time experiences with things will endear the mind with confidence in proceeding with it natural curiosities. This process will multiply in dimensions beyond our reasoning. Building a connection by encouraging open communication about everything.Have fun talks about everything and anything. Try including some details, of how they feel about things. If the child is pretending go with for a little while. Then, subtly cause the direction to change by your influence and steer it from there.

Allow your child the ability to act out some fantasies(healthy ones) and give props and join in the fun. Play superman, or king of the mountain games, to bond and connect with your child. During these times of play try to inject as much learning as possible. During these formative years the brain can take an unlimited amount of learning skills with plenty of room to spare.

Incorporate learning skills into everyday activities in the life of the child during these years and so on. Your childs brain is much like a sponge at that time and you will want them to soak up all they can.Toddler parenting can be fun but is also a major challenge due to how constant the care needs to be administered. It can be hard to keep up especially when other considerations can come into play.

Toddlers tend to also try and push the limits of our patience. They are simply learning the limit to their power and how far that can pull the chains of command. This is also vital in our parenting process. It is important to surround these years with comfortable safe feelings of expression. This is so confidence can build along with the positive impressions. The more the positive experiences fills the brain, the more confidence will build and then develop problem solving all naturally.

So by presenting positive first time experiences to our toddlers parenting can become much more influential. Wise positive introduction will also give your child a better chance at being successful in school, life, and other areas as well.

By: Jamie Haas

About the Author:

Mortgage Refinance

Toddler tantrums are one of the most difficult things to deal with when parenting a toddler. The best way of dealing with them is to avoid them, and to do that you need to know what causes them. Here are 5 causes of toddler tantrums:

1. Frustration
You know how frustrating it is when you are trying to get your computer to do something and it won’t. Now imagine you are two years old. What tools have you got to deal with that frustration? Toddlers can’t verbalise their frustration and they haven’t learned the skills to walk away calmly and come back to something. When you are parenting a toddler you will see your child trying to do something and not having the skill to cope. This is one of the main causes of toddler tantrums, and can be avoided to a certain extent by noticing these things, helping and letting the child do it in stages.

2. Lack of verbal ability
Toddlers understand much more than they can express. When they are not understood or feel unable to say what they want, this often spills over into toddler tantrums. There aren’t easy ways to avoid this, other than trying to understand words your child uses. Successfully parenting a toddler is often about intuition and knowing your child.

3. Hunger or tiredness
We all get grumpy when we’re tired or hungry, but when a toddler is tired or hungry it can increase the chance of toddler tantrum. Be aware of this and try to avoid situations which may make it worse. For example, parenting a toddler needs to take into account the likely consequence of taking your child shopping when a meal or nap are due.

4. Wanting things they can’t have
Chocolate, toys… Toddler tantrums are often caused by children wanting things they can’t have. Before you say no, think about the request carefully. Is it really unreasonable for your child to have the item? Also, try to keep forbidden items out of sight. That isn’t always possible when you go out, and if you had total control of outside environments then parenting a toddler would be much easier! Outside the home, distraction techniques are invaluable.

5. Attention seeking
This is the most talked about cause of toddler tantrums. Young children crave attention and if the only way they can get it is by having a tantrum, then that is what they will do, whether the resulting attention is positive or negative. You can help avoid this when parenting a toddler by making sure you give positive attention to your child at appropriate times, and ignore the tantrums. They will then realize that they won’t achieve anything by having one.

Most children grow out of toddler tantrums once their language skills improve, and most toddlers have very few by the time they are three years old. You will then realize that parenting a toddler was actually great fun.

For more tips on parenting refer to my free e-book “New Parenting Style” on http://www.newparentingstyle.com/index.html.

By: Kinjal S Shah

About the Author:

The DUI Attorney

I have learned much about parenting from watching my son learn and grow. I have learned a lot about myself as well, and that I have as much to learn about life as my son. While he is learning about tastes, sounds, colors, and cause and effect relationships, I am learning that just because I am the parent, I do not always do the right thing. I need to learn and grow while my son is learning and growing in order for his experience to be the best it can be.

One thing I have learned recently involves obedience. If my son is doing something he should not be, my first impression is to immediately tell him to stop and to remove him from the situation. There are times where this is very appropriate, such as in the case of imminent danger. Most of the time, however, I have found that if I give him the opportunity to decide to obey, he is much more cooperative.

For example, my son absolutely loves to brush his teeth. “Teeth” was even one of his first words. When he was able to do most of the brushing himself, he would want to hold on to the toothbrush for the rest of the night, and it was a fight to get him to let go. At first I took the toothbrush from him, and that caused a fit. I finally figured out, that if I ask him to put it away, and bring him to the drawer it goes in, he will put it away.

That is not to say he never puts up a fight, but the majority of the time he will now put his toothbrush away without a fuss, and even sometimes goes to put it away on his own. I found the same phenomenon with pens and pencils. He loves to play with them and will scream if you take them away. But if you ask him to put them away, and take him to the drawer where they go, he will put them in without a fuss.

Giving him the opportunity to obey changed the situation from a dispute, to a chance to accomplish a task. When he succeeds in doing what is asked, I say “Yay,” and clap. Now when he does something he is asked, he will smile and clap his hands. That makes us both happy.

Again I reiterate, every situation is not a mirror image of this experience, and we are both still learning and growing. But I have found the more I give my son the opportunity to obey, the more he wants to be obedient. Sometimes he has to be taught what the right thing is, or shown other alternatives to the action I do not wish him to do, so it takes time and effort. The effort pays off when he wants to do what I have previously shown him without having to remind him.

By: Camille Bowen

About the Author:

Insurance Questions

Aaah, Teenagers! What comedian Jeff Allen describes as God’s revenge for humanity: “Let’s see how you like it when something you created tells you you don’t know anything!” As a counselor, I think the most trying phases of parenting that I have seen are the toddler years and the teen years. So similar in issues - only with bigger bodies. The control of potty training has been replaced by curfew. Instead of sharing their toys, they have to share the family car. Instead of talking kindly to others, they need to talk kindly to you! Here are some tips to keep in mind so you won’t lose yours:

1. You are not alone

Scores of parents of generations past have survived adolescence, and so will you. Perhaps you were the one that gave your parents their mass of gray hair, and shattered nerves. You can see they survived. Strike up a conversation with other parents of teens, and I am sure you will find a lot of common ground.

2. You are not crazy

The one thing that brings the most relief to the parents of teens is when I tell them they are not crazy for their feelings. The inconsistency of teenagers’ decisions, irrational behavior, and sometimes deception can make a parent feel crazy. “Adolescence” is when teens are trying to make “sense” of being an “adult.” The trial and error of it can be confusing for all involved.

3. It is a phase

Parents of teens can often feel like their lives will be, or have been, in chaos forever. This is not true. Just as the toddler years did not last forever, neither will the adolescent years. Even though it may not feel like it now, there have been times that you have already created positive memories your teen will cherish later as an adult. Keep up the good work!

4. Every day can be a do over

Having a challenging day with your teen today? Not quite communicating? Feeling the tug of war with power struggles? The great thing about this season of life is there are new opportunities to start again each day. Or you don’t have to wait until tomorrow; you can start again right now! It is amazing what the power of an apology can do!

5. Maintain a sense of humor

Above everything, maintain a sense of humor. Henry Ward Beecher said it best: A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs – jolted by every pebble in the road. Parenting teens can not only come with pebbles, but with boulders. A humorous perspective can mean the difference between sanity and senility.

6. Do everything to maintain your marital relationship

You love your children, but the first priority is your marriage. Find time to safeguard your relationship to maintain closeness with your spouse. The parenting years will soon be over, but your marriage will last a lifetime. As a counselor, I have seen many couples that feel like they do not know one another anymore because they have allowed parenting to invade upon their marital intimacy.

Whether you are a newbie or an experienced veteran, parenting teens can be challenging. Perspective can provide a sense of relief during the troubled times and perhaps prevent them from becoming overwhelming.

By: Terre Grable

About the Author:

Accident Lawyers

Yesterday was a definite eye opening day. It was the first day back from summer of a mother’s group I attend at church. You could sense the excitement in the air of catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Then it hit me, this would be the first year I would be attending without my oldest daughter. For five years, we had attended together. There would be no more chasing my daughter up the lobby stairs to catch her before she independently went to her classroom. There would be no more midday surprise lunches after my group, or meeting up with friends at the park afterwards. It had all been replaced with growing up and pre-kindergarten.

So I did what any other self respecting and grief stricken mother would do: I went and picked up my daughter early from school and took her out to lunch one final time! Sure, she missed some academics, but then it was only the letter M. And well, she already had a handle on that.

We went to one of our favorite restaurants. We laughed and chatted over lunch while her baby sister slept. It was great fun. While we were outside getting ready to leave, I noticed my daughter’s face was pressed against the window of the restaurant. Curious, I asked her what was the target of her affection. With her face still plastered to the window, she gingerly said, “Well, I just wished we had gotten some of that pink cake. Pink is my favorite color, ya’ know.” I paused for a second and thought, “Why not?” We went in and got a piece of that “pink” (strawberry actually) cake, and brought it home to enjoy. My daughter was especially thrilled, since we hardly ever get dessert-because what small child needs more sugar!

Here are the three parenting lessons I learned from this baked good:

1. Time with our children rapidly changes, and will soon be gone.

Parenting consists of different challenges from infants and toddlers to tweens and teens. Some days are more stressful than others. Yet, each day that passes is one less that we have to spend with our children. How have we chosen to fill it?

2. Sometimes memories are just more important

When my job as a parent is done, the only thing I will have is the memories. My sister once told me that memories do not just happen. You have to be intentional about making them. What kind of memories will my children have of growing up?

3. What does it matter?

At the end of the day, what did it matter that my daughter had a piece of cake? Now I am not suggesting that you discard all discipline and routine, but we need to prioritize the right issues to go to task with our children. Am I creating unnecessary battles?

Sometimes it is hard to see the end of the race of parenting. But, there definitely is a finish line. How are you running the race?

By: Terre Grable

About the Author:

Tax Attorneys

If you are a parent of toddlers you know how exhausting life can be on an everyday basis. Your little one can be cute as a bug one minute and then rapidly morph into a holy terror just a few moments later. There are some basic parenting strategies that you can use to help make life be more manageable when you have toddlers or young children.

It is important to know how to parent your kids wisely so that both you and your young children are happier and healthier. Instead of being overwhelmed by the responsibilities and challenges that are constantly being presented parents need to understand that “choosing your parenting battles wisely” is some very good advice. Ease up on your expectations and demands and learn to enjoy this special time with your kids.

Planning Ahead

Since you know that you have to keep a careful eye on your toddler (or the dog might end up with a new colored coat due to a fresh application of permanent marker) it can be difficult to get your own work done, such as keeping the house in order, cooking healthy meals, and more. In order to keep the rest of the house running smoothly, planning ahead is essential.

One way to have healthy meals and snacks ready in a short amount of time is to cut up your fruits and vegetables as soon as you get home from the grocery store. Also, by making a double portion of meals, you can put half of the meal in the freezer for future use without the hassle of preparing it again.

By vacuuming, doing laundry and other household chores when your toddler goes down for his nap each day, the house can also be kept in good condition. If you work from home, this is also a good time to catch up on those phone calls that require a quiet household to complete them.

Discipline

Sometimes, the hardest part about having a toddler is the constant need for discipline. These are the years when your sweet baby learns to be assertive for the first time, pushing all boundaries with the dreaded word, “No!” Your toddler needs to have gentle but firm boundaries so that he knows exactly where the limits are and that there are consequences every time that he/she steps over the line. By being consistent, your toddler will learn that there is freedom within those boundaries and will gradually stop pushing against them as often.

Finally, since toddlers tend to be exhausting, it is important to take a time out yourself when things get tough. It is okay to leave your screaming toddler in one room while you take a five minute breather to compose yourself before returning to apply discipline.

Encourage self reliance with your toddlers as much as possible. You will get a break and they will enjoy being able to experience additional independence.

If you remember to use these parenting tips it will make life with your toddlers much more gratifying and enjoyable.

By: Mario Mauro

About the Author:

Jemima our just-turned 4-year-old grand daughter lives with us and throws temper tantrums. Lynnette my wife responds to these calmly in an amazingly self contained and controlled manner. I however tend to want to react by taking control of the situation by putting a stop to the tantrum immediately.

I know that Lynnette’s way is the better and right way to go. I am learning that it is better to respond appropriately rather than react to Jemima’s out bursts. This article will look at five sure ways to help deal with your toddler’s temper tantrums.
Don’t Spank, Hit or Yell When your toddler is out of control, you don’t want to smack, hit or yell at her to try to get her to behave. Anything like spanking, hitting or yelling will only make her more upset. Be aware that she knows how to “push your buttons”. If you are a volatile mom or dad, it’ll be easy for your toddler to trigger an explosion from you, ending in a screaming match with no winners. It just won’t work. Try ignoring the tantrum.

Ignore Minor Anger Outbursts If you ignore your toddler’s tantrums you send her a clear message that her tantrums are unacceptable. Minor displays of toddler anger such as, screaming, crying or kicking can usually be ignored. Your toddler is trying to attract your attention. If you don’t give her that attention, she will lose interest and stop the tantrum. When the tantrum is over take her in your arms to reassure her and let her sense that you are on her side. Distraction is another cool technique to try.

Use Distraction Distract her with something, which is a great way to help her calm down. Put a cartoon video on, listen to music, read a story, watch television, go outside, watch animals, or anything else that might work-it will be worthwhile. Easier said than done but if you find a distraction that works it can be enough to settle the storm. Sometimes it is time to just let her cry.

Let her Cry Let your toddler cry it all out. Let her cry, scream, and totally freak out until she is over her tantrum. We don’t like our toddlers to be out of control but the truth is that all toddlers go through this stage, will have tantrums and lose control at some point. She may need to be removed.

Remove her from the Situation If it gets too much and you feel like you are loosing your cool, remove your toddler from the situation. Take her to another room to give her time-out to cool down and regain control. A good rule of thumb for a time-out is one minute of time for every year of your child’s age. If you cannot remain calm, leave the room.

By: Richard Dobson

About the Author:

Cure Acne

Potty training readiness is necessary to be displayed by your toddler before they are trained for the same. Just like sitting, crawling & walking even toilet training is a skill that your child is suppose to be known to them. Before the child is mastering the skill of potty readiness, there are certain skills & capabilities that they must know before they can start learning bathroom lessons. There are few signs that symbolizes that the toddler is showing potty training readiness. Some of these signs are as follows. When the child is staying dry for more period of time as compared to before than it shows that his or her bladder capacity is increasing, thereby can go for training & displaying readiness.

When you realize that your toddler is recognizing when he or she is about to urinate or voiding. This is also very important & requires close observation. This is an important sign that proves to you that your toddler is showing toilet training readiness. If you try before time that is if he or she is not showing potty training readiness than you may land up in trouble teaching them what they do not understand. As & when they are ready in other words they are showing potty readiness than they will be able to pull their pants up & down easily as compared to before. At this moment, it is the best time to start the training because they will learn the skill easily.

If your child is able to follow certain instructions than he or she is showing readiness because even to go to a toilet you have to follow certain regular steps like open the door, switch on the lights, drop down your pants, sit on the toilet, flush it after using it & so on so this is a very important skill. Another important sign to check potty readiness is that your toddler is capable of sitting down at a place for several minutes without getting distracted or irritated. This is very essential to understand about your toddler because toilet training requires a child to be patient enough to get trained.

If your child is able to run & walk very well & can make it quickly to the toilet so that he or she can reach the toilet in time shows his or her toilet training readiness. This is because toilet is just few steps away so that he or she can reach there before occurrence of any accident. Potty training readiness is displayed by just a feeling which shows his or her desire to learn, desire to stay dry etc. Potty training readiness is just like teaching them other skills so the desire to learn is essential. One more thing is that potty training readiness is displayed only after childs’ physical mental & physical strength is accomplished.

However to show this potty training readiness age is of no importance. It is independent of the age of the toddler.

By: Andrea Rutledge

About the Author:

Dogs Discussion

Sadly, nearly every baby experiences some sort of sickness the first year of life. Some of the more common illnesses your baby might experience are the flu, a cold, an earache or stomach ache. For parents, it’s very difficult to see your robust, active and happy baby turn miserable and limp. Of course the first thing you should do is contact your pediatrician’s office or even urgent care or a hospital depending on your baby’s symptoms for treatment advice. Following that, there likely will be a period of time that you have to just ride out the symptoms and wait for the medicine to kick in and your baby to regain her strength and vigor. Comforting a sick, miserable baby can be worrisome and perplexing for a new parent. There are several things you can do to soothe your baby and make the experience easier for you both.

For a stuffy nose, nasal spray works to loosen things up but your baby probably won’t like the experience one bit. I use a tweezers to pull out boogers that obstruct breathing, done while the baby is asleep. Also, elevate one end of the crib mattress by putting something under it so your baby can sleep with her head at the highest part of the incline. Pillows are not recommended for babies under two, so elevating the mattress works and is a good solution. If your baby falls asleep in your arms and you find it difficult to move her to the crib, sliding her into an almost sitting position in a corner of the couch works well to make breathing easier. The down side is that you cannot leave your baby unattended in this position, however it’s a small price to pay for a little break from a fussy baby. Warm baths are helpful easing nasal congestion so don’t avoid them if your baby has a cold. Humidifiers in baby’s room also helps relieve congestion. Baby wipes are a better choice than Kleenex to keep your baby’s nose clean or better yet, rotate between the two to keep baby’s nose free of obstructions and avoid chaffing. Some parents use bulb nasal extractors but they never worked for me.

To relax and calm your baby you can try a gentle back massage. Also likely touching her skin with the tips of your fingers is relaxing slowly going up and down her legs, head and arms. On her face use one finger barely touching her skin going over her forehead, eyebrows and cheeks. Avoid this on the tummy or neck as it might tickle your baby. Gentle pulling ¼ inch strands of your baby’s hair, like you are playing with it or twirling it works for some babies. Don’t ask me why, but it’s a distraction I suppose for them.

If your baby has gas, position them facing down with your hand supporting her head and her body laying along your arm with legs startled on either side. The upside down pressure usually works to relieve gas and you can walk around with your baby in this position. The different view and position might soothe your baby too.
If your baby has a temperature, and can drink cool water (in a sippy cup) offer water frequently to keep your baby hydrated. Your baby will likely enjoy more cold foods than usual, like yogurt, cold applesauce etc., so offer them freely. A cool washcloth on her forehead will feel good.

It’s always distressing when your baby’s sick but hopefully by following doctor’s orders and using soothing techniques to relax your baby will help make a difficult part of parenting easier.

By: Maggie Brown

About the Author:

Toddler Safety

Being a new parent comes with several different responsibilities along with many unanswered questions. There are so many things that you as a new parent will need to know and while others will gladly offer you advice, whether you want it or not, there is nothing that can answer questions like taking a parenting course.

Why do I need a parenting course?

Upcoming and new parents will have many questions and fears. By taking a parenting course you can not only be in the company of parents just as yourself but also parents that also share some of the many concerns, questions and fears as you do. Parenting courses not only offer support from other parents but also give you a trained professional that can help you along the way.

Are there different kinds of parenting courses?

There are several different parenting courses available such as a parenting course for new parents, parenting course for parents with toddlers, parenting course for parents with elementary age children and on up until your child reaches high school age. There are also several different parenting courses that you can take for children with special or different needs such as those who have disabilities, children affected by divorce and so many more.

Will the parenting course be expensive?

The expense of a parenting course will depend on several different things. Many churches will offer different parenting courses and many times those are free of charge. You can also call your local counseling office or therapy clinics to see what types of different courses they offer.

Can I take a parenting course online?

With the new wave of technology sprouting up all around us you can now take many parenting courses online. Some courses will even offer you a certificate of completion that you can print out at home or have mailed to you. By taking a course online you will benefit from the fact that you can sit in the comfort of your own home while still getting the information you need. Also for many people they like the idea of being anonymous when asking tough questions.

The downside of taking a course online is the lack of real interaction with other parents. Many online courses will offer message boards where parents can discuss different topics and chat with each other so for some parents that is enough while others like the idea of having people in your own communities to talk to. You should also be aware that if taking a parenting course has been court ordered they may not allow you to take the course online. Check with your advocate before you sign up.

You are not alone in the desire for more information about being a parent and by taking a parenting course you will not only get answers to questions you have but be able to hear questions and answers you might not have even thought about yet. For many new parents a parenting course is a win-win situation for everyone.

By: Lucy Bushman

About the Author:

Compuer Phone Calls