toddler Archives | Sleeping Should Be Easy

Fun Places to Take a 1 Year Old

Published Jan 23, 2020

Looking for fun places to take a 1 year old? Check out these ideas for things to do and where to take your toddler to play, both indoors and outdoors. "I can't wait until my baby is a little older, maybe when he turns a year old," I confessed to a coworker. "That way, I don't have to carry him around so much. He could just walk anywhere he wants!" He tilted his head and smiled as he said, "I don't know about that. Things actually got more complicated when my kids learned to walk because they wanted to walk everywhere! Restaurants were the worst—we could never just sit down and … [Read more...]

What to Do When Your Toddler Wakes Up Crying from Naps

sleeping

Published Jan 16, 2020 Updated Jan 22, 2020

It's tough when your child always wakes up early, miserable after nap and screaming. Learn what you can do when your toddler wakes up crying from naps! Not again, I thought. My toddler had never been a great napper and often fought his afternoon nap. And when he did nap, he'd always wake up cranky, whining and crying for up to an hour after waking up. If you're so miserable, why didn't you keep sleeping?!, I felt like telling them. As a first-time mom, I never even knew kids could wake up any other way. I figured every toddler cried, just as babies would often cry post nap. In fact, … [Read more...]

Why You Need to Respond when Adults Tease Your Child

communication

Published Jan 15, 2020 Updated Jan 19, 2020

Do adults tease your child, even with good intention? Learn why you need to respond to others' teasing and how to do so firmly yet tactfully. You're at a family party, and grandpa teases your child and pretends to take away his toy. He means well, as most adults do when they try to make kids laugh, but now the teasing has grown out of hand and your child is getting upset. On one hand, you don't want to be that parent everyone has to be careful about with what they say to her kids. So you laugh it off, while still dropping enough hints that it's time to stop the teasing. But you … [Read more...]

The Difference between Distraction and Redirection (and Why I Prefer One Over the Other)

behavior

Published Jan 01, 2020 Updated Jan 11, 2020

You've likely used distraction to curb your child's behavior, but you may find that it backfires. Learn why redirecting children's behavior is a better option to discipline a child. My kids were fighting over the same fire truck... again. Tired of the arguing, pleading and tears, I scrambled to find something to break up the fight. I dug into the storage bin and found old toys they haven't played with in a while. "Look, check out this new board game!" I announced, and as I predicted, the fight ended as they scampered toward the new toy. The fire truck sat untouched, no longer a hot issue … [Read more...]

Rainy Day Activities for 1 Year Olds

learn and discover

Published Dec 30, 2019 Updated Dec 30, 2019

This list of rainy day activities for 1 year olds is the best thing to have when bad weather hits! These indoor activities will keep you both happy and sane. Here in southern California, we don't get much rain the way other parts of the country do. We even joke that a light sprinkle is enough to set Los Angelenos in a frenzy driving on the road. Still, when it does rain, we wonder what to do with the kids all day. Even now, my kids love being outside and go stir-crazy when they're cooped up indoors. You can imagine how much harder it is for the 1 year old stage, when you can't exactly … [Read more...]

What to Do When Your Toddler Wakes Up Every Night

sleeping

Published Dec 05, 2019 Updated Jan 21, 2020

It's hard when your toddler wakes up every night crying and not going back to sleep. Learn how to help her stop waking up and finally sleep all night. You forget how good you have it until your child starts waking up in the middle of the night again. You get used to actually getting eight hours of sleep, uninterrupted. But when your toddler wakes up every night, the sleep deprivation kicks in. "This feels like the newborn stage again!" I complained to my husband. Of course, it wasn't... except when your child suddenly wakes up every night for no good reason, you feel just as sleep … [Read more...]

13 Anxiety Books for Kids

learn and discover

Published Nov 25, 2019 Updated Nov 25, 2019

These anxiety books for kids will help you put your child at ease, whether they’re going to school, dealing with separation anxiety, or feel anxious about making mistakes. Does your child cry in the morning because her stuffed animal isn't where it was the night before? Is she fun and energetic at home, but completely different in public? Has preschool drop-off become such a nightmare because she cries the minute you leave? Many of us have wondered whether our kids' behaviors are normal, or if they could possibly signal anxiety problems that need to be addressed. And for good reason: … [Read more...]

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