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Why We Love Our Toddlers
The H-E-A-R-T of the Matter
By I.J. Schecter
Remember that the trust your toddler places in you includes a need to know the rules of the big, complicated world around her, even if it does often seem she'd rather resist those rules with every iota of her being.
"Your toddler may protest at top volume when you attempt to channel her passion for life in safer or more appropriate ways," Douglas says. "Don't let that protest cry deter you. She's secretly counting on you to teach her what she needs to know in order to stay safe and thrive in the world. Unless you fill her in on the rules, she'll have no way of knowing that strangers in restaurants don't want to share their meals – or their laps."
In the end, you'll be rewarded for keeping those boundaries firm and making your little one feel he's in good hands no matter what. Heather Janes from Toronto, Canada, and mom to 2-year-old Tyler, sums it up best: "Sometimes, Ty will just shuffle toward me, get right up close to my face and say, 'I wuv you, Mom.' What an indescribable feeling."