Stranger anxiety in toddlers is not always a bad thing. Here’s what you need to know to help toddlers when they’re afraid of strangers. "Let's meet up for lunch," I told a friend. My husband, toddler and I were in her area, and we wanted her to finally meet the little guy. Except the minute he saw her, he cried. And I mean cried. He turned his body away from her and wrapped his arms around my neck. Even when he finally settled down, he never warmed up or showed his cheerful and friendly personality. Suffice to say, I felt horrible. Nothing about my friend would've warranted a reaction … [Read more...]
How to Respond When Your 3 Year Old Tantrums Every Day
Dealing with 3 year old tantrums every day is exhausting. Learn what’s normal for children, as well as what to do if tantrums start getting worse. Apparently, it was "opposite day" for my 3 year old. When we went outside, he wanted to go inside (only to change his mind once I obliged). He wanted to go for a walk, but complained that he was tired, leaving me to carry him the rest of the way home. And when we were finally indoors for good, he threw a fit because he wanted to leave the door open... never mind that all the while, I was trying to take his shoes and jacket off. For many … [Read more...]
How to Discipline a 1 Year Old (Especially When Yours Ignores You)
I wasn't exactly sure how to discipline a 1 year old. As a first-time mom, I didn't know what stage he was at developmentally, or how much "reasoning" he'd understand. For instance, he'd bang on the sliding glass doors, despite me telling him "no" sternly, face and all. In fact, he seemed to want to see my reaction, repeating the banging—and even think it funny when I once again reminded him that we don't bang on the doors. He was starting to get into a lot of things he shouldn't, despite constant reminders. I tried telling or showing him what he couldn't do, but I couldn't seem to find … [Read more...]
How to Get Toddlers to Listen Without Yelling
Frustrated when your child only responds to yelling? Learn how to get toddlers to listen without yelling and discover effective parenting tips to discipline. "No." "Don't jump on the couch." "You can't have another snack." "Stop hitting your brother." I don't know how many times I've looked at my kids and asked them not to do something... only for them to do exactly what I had just told them not to do. If I ask them to stop banging a pencil on the table, they'll look me in the eye while they continue pounding away. If I tell them to stay near me as we walk along a busy street, … [Read more...]
How to Get a Teething Baby to Sleep
Teething baby won’t sleep at night? Discover how to get a teething baby to sleep, the tips and products that help, and how to handle the sleep regression. I can't remember how many times my baby would fuss and I'd declare, "He must be teething," only for no teeth to show. Another fussy episode would pass, and again I'd say, "Okay, now he's probably teething," yet still no teeth would poke through. After a while I got tired of blaming his fits on his teeth. That is, until the fiasco a few weeks back when, for about half an hour or so, he was inconsolable. Nothing that normally soothed … [Read more...]
When Your 3 Year Old’s Behavior Is Out of Control
Struggling with your child hitting or not listening? Learn how to discipline when your 3 year old’s behavior is out of control. Many of us were warned about the "Terrible Twos," but they don't always tell you about what happens after. The days when your 3 year old talks back, is aggressive and mean (of course, only toward you), or won't listen to anything you say. When no amount of timeouts or taking privileges away does anything. Or when he totally ignores what you say, or yells "I don't care!" Maybe he bites, hits, and scratches when he doesn't get what he wants, or cries and whines … [Read more...]
The Best Advice for New Parents (From Parents Who’ve Been There)
Are you a soon-to-be first-time mom? Discover the best tips and advice for new parents that no one talks about—from fellow parents who've been there. Tell anyone you're about to be a new mom, and you'll likely hear scores of parenting advice all over. The coworker who tells you it's okay to feel overwhelmed, the friend who warns you not to rock your baby. You'll hear about milestones to keep an eye on, and what those flaps on onesies are actually for. But sometimes, it's the absence of advice for new parents that's most startling. How no one tells you the intense and almost shameful … [Read more...]
How to Be a Good Mom (Even When You Feel Discouraged)
Feeling discouraged these days about motherhood? You CAN be the best mom to your kids—learn how to be a good mom with these important tips and reminders! We've all had those days. Those days when you yelled at your toddler just because he kept turning the light switch on and off. When you wake up delirious in the middle of the night with the baby and think, "What have I gotten myself into?!" When you resorted to doing everything you swore you'd never do, like giving your kids junk food or letting them watch an extra hour of television. And other times, those days happen when you feel … [Read more...]