What to expect in your preschooler's behavior

Growing up is an exciting time for your child but has many challenges. Children want to be independent, do things by themselves and achieve. But as your child discovers things about the world around him and about himself, this can be a frustrating time and an emotional time for you and your child. Your child will experience and express emotions that include frustration, anger, disappointment and confusion. Being prepared for this behavior from your child will help you to manage stressful, difficult situations and help you guide your child through them.

What behavior you should expect from your toddler

•  TT. Temper tantrums, terrible twos, or terrible threes – do these sound familiar to you? Many of us have heard about these or experienced them. Some of us are thinking about what they are going to be like. The fact is: they happen. As your child grows and starts to experience frustration, stress and anger, he also experiences the inability to deal with such feelings and that is when tantrums come in to play.

•  Copying machine . Remember that kids like to copy adults, so if you show self-control and discipline, chances are your child will be learning this behavior as well.

•  Kids love attention . It is important to know that if your child is rolling out the toilet paper on his hands and dragging it through the house, it may mean that he is just looking for attention.

•  Work of art . You may have your own works of art on your walls. Kids love crayons, so be sure to have plenty of paper around and instruct them to use it. Or just be thankful to technology and washable crayons.

•  Power and independence . Some kids like to dress themselves at this stage. It shows independence and the power of having choices even if it means leaving the house with purple pants, green socks, and an orange sweater on an 80-degree weather day. Just bring along a change of clothes.

•  Sharing . Sharing is caring, but for a three year old sharing can be the worst day of his life. Have a plan for toys that need to be shared, such as having a timer that will indicate when it is time to take turns with other children.

•  Routines . Adults like change and can adjust to change but children rely on routine to know what to expect at a certain time, such as a when to eat, sleep, shower and have fun. Routine provides kids with a sense of security.

What to Expect in Your Toddler's Behavior

Enjoy the toddler years

If you have a toddler, you know why people often call this time ‘the terrible twos’! As your child moves from infancy to toddlerhood, she is just learning to walk and talk. Toddlers can be stubborn and want so much to do things on their own, but they still need your help in many ways. As your toddler struggles with this, she will behave in ways that can be pretty challenging and will test your patience.

Active toddlers provide plenty of surprises

·         Seemingly endless energy.  As he discovers how to walk and climb he will want to take full advantage of every opportunity to practice these new skills and it can be exhausting keeping up with him! Try to find some activities that you can do together that will help him burn off some of that energy like outside play. See OneToughJob’s tips on Activities To Do With Your Toddler.

• Getting into everything. Toddlers are very curious about the world around them. Your toddler’s first step is a wonderful thing, but when she begins walking, she will be able to get into everything. She will be fearless and impulsive, and will want to walk and climb on everything, including stairs and furniture. Channel this enthusiasm into appropriate activities, like letting your child run in the yard or climb on an age appropriate playground structure. Also make sure to childproof your home. See OneToughJob’s tips on Childproofing Your Home.
• The cranky toddler.  One and two year-olds need anywhere from 10-13 hours of sleep. Your toddler may sleep for a long time at night, or may need one or two short naps during the day. This varies from child to child, but you will see that naptime will start to get shorter and shorter. It may also be difficult to put your toddler to sleep. Try relaxing activities such as a bath or a story, and develop a routine. If your toddler is overly cranky and hard to manage, it could be that he is not getting enough rest.
• Temper tantrums. As your toddler struggles with expressing herself with her new but limited vocabulary as well as her desire to do everything for herself while still needing your help, she will become frustrated. Unfortunately, temper tantrums are often the result. See OneToughJob’s tips on Temper Tantrums and Your Young Child.
• Independence. Toddlers are attempting to establish their independence and will want to try do many things by themselves. For example, your toddler might show a new desire to feed herself. The mess that may result can be a pain, but it will help build her confidence. At first, you might want to try finger foods that may not be quite as messy.
• Picky Eaters. Solid food is still new to toddlers and just like they are comfortable with a consistent daily routine, they may decide they only want to eat a few things. The best thing you can do is to provide a few healthy options at snack time and at meals with just one new food at a time. Offer that new food with something you know your toddler likes. If you are truly concerned about your toddler’s diet, ask your pediatrician.
• What about sharing? Toddlers can be very possessive and when they learn the two magic words, ‘mine’ and ‘no,’ it may seem like these are the only two words you hear anymore! Try to limit your own use of the word ‘no.’ Instead of saying ‘No, do not throw the blocks!’ try ‘We do not throw blocks.’ Expose your toddler to other children his age. At this age, he will be curious about and start to interact with peers. Playing with other children at the playground, in a child care center, in a playgroup, or even playing with siblings will be good for your toddler and can teach him to share.