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Why We Love Our Toddlers
The H-E-A-R-T of the Matter
By I.J. Schecter
(John Wiley and Sons, 2004). "Give them an audience and they're almost guaranteed to become the center of attention in 15 seconds flat. After all, there's nothing worse to a toddler than becoming invisible in a room full of people – talk about an opportunity lost. If you want to preempt whining, crying or tantrums thrown for the purpose of getting everyone in the room to pay attention, give your toddler some dedicated one-on-one time before everyone else arrives. You may find she'll be less inclined to pull out the diva moves."
"Among the most effective steps you can take as a parent is something quite simple," Gerstein says. "Give attention – lots of attention – for desirable behaviors, and don't give attention to undesirable ones. Your toddler will learn fast that the effort required for a tantrum just isn't worth it."
Should you let your toddler run wild, or is it more appropriate to institute a no-running-in-the-house-at-any-time rule? "Somewhere in between," Gerstein says. "On those days where it's hard to be outdoors, it's always nice to give your child opportunities to let off some steam, but doing major gross motor activities – big, broad movements – in the house isn't necessarily advisable, given natural obstacles like table corners and slippery floors. Help him release some energy with creative games or pretend play activities, allowing him to explore his physical world while keeping him protected."