Managing Toddler Behavior

[doctormama]

Managing toddler behavior can be a challenge, but with some strategies and understanding, we can navigate this challenging phase together! Share your experiences and let's help each other!

What specific challenges do you face with your tot's behavior? How old are they, and what techniques have worked (or not worked!) for you so far? Let's discuss!

 

[koala]

Managing toddler behavior can be a challenge, but with some strategies and understanding, we can navigate this challenging phase together! Share your experiences and let's help each other!

What specific challenges do you face with your tot's behavior? How old are they, and what techniques have worked (or not worked!) for you so far? Let's discuss!

My older son who's 4 has this new habit of talking back and refusing to follow instructions. He seems to grow out of his cute toddler phase into a stubborn little boy overnight! I found that taking away privileges like screen time or delaying his bedtime by 15 mins as consequences work effectively when he refuses to do something, like cleaning up his toys. But I'm curious to learn what other moms do too since this phase seems to be testing my patience everyday!

 

[nature]

Managing toddler behavior can be a challenge, but with some strategies and understanding, we can navigate this challenging phase together! Share your experiences and let's help each other!

What specific challenges do you face with your tot's behavior? How old are they, and what techniques have worked (or not worked!) for you so far? Let's discuss!

As a yoga instructor and mom of two, I've certainly had my fair share of navigating toddler behaviors! My older one, now eight, was a real challenge as a tot. Full of energy, she needed constant physical engagement and stimulation, which was exhausting for this introverted mom!

I found that taking her to the park or scheduling playdates regularly helped immense -- having a designated space to run wild and exhaust herself was a lifesaver. Otherwise, it was like babysitting a ball of energetic cotton candy, sticky and all over the place! Having a routine with plenty of outdoor time seemed to calm her down, giving her a sense of structure, which toddler's seemingly crave.

What about you? Any specific strategies that have worked for calming the little one's energy or managing their mood swings?

 

[stargazer]

My older son who's 4 has this new habit of talking back and refusing to follow instructions. He seems to grow out of his cute toddler phase into a stubborn little boy overnight! I found that taking away privileges like screen time or delaying his bedtime by 15 mins as consequences work effectively when he refuses to do something, like cleaning up his toys. But I'm curious to learn what other moms do too since this phase seems to be testing my patience everyday!

Taking away privileges is a clever idea! It's practical and doesn't resort to physical punishment.

My girl is also four and recently started throwing tantrums and talking back too. It's like overnight she became a different child! I've been trying out different tactics to see what works, and honestly, it's a lot of trial and error.

Timeouts seemed to work for a while, but now she's learned to play with her toys or sing to herself, which sort of defeats the purpose! So lately, I've been trying a points system where I give her a warning, and if she continues misbehaving, she loses points. And at the end of the day, we tally up the points. If she has a certain number of negative points, there's no story time or other privileges like you mentioned.

It's too soon to say if it'll work, but on the first day she was quite upset about losing story time, so I think it might be a goer! Would love to hear if any other moms have tried anything like this and if it worked long term. It's good to know what we're all doing to navigate this tricky phase!

 

[techsavvy]

As a yoga instructor and mom of two, I've certainly had my fair share of navigating toddler behaviors! My older one, now eight, was a real challenge as a tot. Full of energy, she needed constant physical engagement and stimulation, which was exhausting for this introverted mom!

I found that taking her to the park or scheduling playdates regularly helped immense -- having a designated space to run wild and exhaust herself was a lifesaver. Otherwise, it was like babysitting a ball of energetic cotton candy, sticky and all over the place! Having a routine with plenty of outdoor time seemed to calm her down, giving her a sense of structure, which toddler's seemingly crave.

What about you? Any specific strategies that have worked for calming the little one's energy or managing their mood swings?

Yes, I couldn't agree more about the importance of routines and outdoors for our energetic tots! My son seems to be like your daughter - full of beans and always on the go.

We live in a 5-room HDB flat with a small balcony, so to keep him entertained at home some days, I turned it into a mini outdoor haven with a small slide and a couple of ride-on toys that he can access by himself. That bought me some peace while doing chores or preparing meals, and he loves it out there! It's like having a mini playground at home, which helps on rainy days when we can't visit the park. I must emphasize safety though - supervision is key, and I make sure the balcony grille gate is always closed!

Also, I recently discovered that teaching him simple yoga stretches calmed his energy down somewhat surprisingly! We do animal poses and a bit of mindful breathing - it keeps him engaged and still, which is a welcome break from his hyperactivity. I'm no expert but will certainly continue exploring this quiet time activity with him!

 

[travelmum]

Yes, I couldn't agree more about the importance of routines and outdoors for our energetic tots! My son seems to be like your daughter - full of beans and always on the go.

We live in a 5-room HDB flat with a small balcony, so to keep him entertained at home some days, I turned it into a mini outdoor haven with a small slide and a couple of ride-on toys that he can access by himself. That bought me some peace while doing chores or preparing meals, and he loves it out there! It's like having a mini playground at home, which helps on rainy days when we can't visit the park. I must emphasize safety though - supervision is key, and I make sure the balcony grille gate is always closed!

Also, I recently discovered that teaching him simple yoga stretches calmed his energy down somewhat surprisingly! We do animal poses and a bit of mindful breathing - it keeps him engaged and still, which is a welcome break from his hyperactivity. I'm no expert but will certainly continue exploring this quiet time activity with him!

It's great to have a balcony play area! I've been contemplating setting up something similar, as it's a lifesaver for days when you can't step out due to the rain or other engagements. Good call on the mindful yoga too - might be time to unlock another trick in the book!

 

[sportytina]

Yes, I couldn't agree more about the importance of routines and outdoors for our energetic tots! My son seems to be like your daughter - full of beans and always on the go.

We live in a 5-room HDB flat with a small balcony, so to keep him entertained at home some days, I turned it into a mini outdoor haven with a small slide and a couple of ride-on toys that he can access by himself. That bought me some peace while doing chores or preparing meals, and he loves it out there! It's like having a mini playground at home, which helps on rainy days when we can't visit the park. I must emphasize safety though - supervision is key, and I make sure the balcony grille gate is always closed!

Also, I recently discovered that teaching him simple yoga stretches calmed his energy down somewhat surprisingly! We do animal poses and a bit of mindful breathing - it keeps him engaged and still, which is a welcome break from his hyperactivity. I'm no expert but will certainly continue exploring this quiet time activity with him!

It's wonderful how you've created a mini outdoor space in your balcony to keep your active tot entertained! Supervised independence is a great way to occupy curious young minds.

My daughter took to meditation surprisingly well at that age - we began with simple mindful exercises like observing clouds or bubbling up soap bubbles and breathing deeply together. It helped to calm her down immensely, plus she loved the "magic" of it all. I recall she especially enjoyed the bubble breathing, which was a clever way to get her to slow down and focus on the rising and falling of her breath.

Do you think your son might enjoy some fun meditation too? It's a lovely way to reconnect and settle those restless toddler spirits!

 

[stargazer]

It's great to have a balcony play area! I've been contemplating setting up something similar, as it's a lifesaver for days when you can't step out due to the rain or other engagements. Good call on the mindful yoga too - might be time to unlock another trick in the book!

Yeah, the balcony setup has been a godsend on several occasions! Especially during lunch prep or when I need to quickly run an errand upstairs in the flat. Setting up a tiny kids' nook outdoors with some toys and ride-ons is very doable, and it's a fun project too!

And ah..mindful breathing haha. That's another thing I've been trying to teach, with mixed success. Toddler attention spans can be fickle, so keeping them focused on breathing exercises is quite the challenge! But I reckon it's beneficial in the long run, and good for their overall wellbeing, so I persevere! At least he enjoys the yoga stretches and animal poses - lion pose roars are a definite hit!

What other techniques do mummies here use for calming down an energetic toddler? Any recommendations for tricky tantrum situations? I'm always on the lookout for more ideas to keep my little one's emotions in check!

 

[techsavvy]

It's wonderful how you've created a mini outdoor space in your balcony to keep your active tot entertained! Supervised independence is a great way to occupy curious young minds.

My daughter took to meditation surprisingly well at that age - we began with simple mindful exercises like observing clouds or bubbling up soap bubbles and breathing deeply together. It helped to calm her down immensely, plus she loved the "magic" of it all. I recall she especially enjoyed the bubble breathing, which was a clever way to get her to slow down and focus on the rising and falling of her breath.

Do you think your son might enjoy some fun meditation too? It's a lovely way to reconnect and settle those restless toddler spirits!

That's a great idea to introduce mindful exercises! I've noticed how much my son enjoys mimicking adult behaviors, including doing chores and yoga, which he calls "stretching like Mama."

I think he would love meditation if presented as fun "magic" like you said! I remember enjoying cloud observing when I was little, so I think it's worth a shot. Thanks for the idea - I'll try it this weekend and hope it goes well! It's awesome to have these tricks up our sleeves to bring out our A-game when needed.

 

[queenie]

That's a great idea to introduce mindful exercises! I've noticed how much my son enjoys mimicking adult behaviors, including doing chores and yoga, which he calls "stretching like Mama."

I think he would love meditation if presented as fun "magic" like you said! I remember enjoying cloud observing when I was little, so I think it's worth a shot. Thanks for the idea - I'll try it this weekend and hope it goes well! It's awesome to have these tricks up our sleeves to bring out our A-game when needed.

Yeah, that's the thing about toddlers - their interest in something new sticks if it catches on, and they're likely to keep asking for it! So definitely worth a go. Hope your meditation session goes well this weekend!

 

[lioness]

Yeah, that's the thing about toddlers - their interest in something new sticks if it catches on, and they're likely to keep asking for it! So definitely worth a go. Hope your meditation session goes well this weekend!

The pleasure is mine! Have a great weekend too and hopefully, the meditation attempt will be a success!

 

[sunnydays]

That's kind of you, thank you. Hope you have a fabulous weekend too and that your toddlers aren't giving you too much static!

 

[travelmum]

I'm actually looking forward to some quality tantrum action this weekend - it's been pretty quiet on that front recently! You have a great one too!

 

[chickadee]

Lucky you! Hope your weekend is filled with lots of fun and frills (and not just toddler tantrums)! Have a good one!

 

[happyfeet]

I could really use some fun this weekend - things have been tricky lately. Thanks for your well wishes, I hope you have a great one too and keep those fingers crossed for me!

 

[sunnydays]

Hopefully this weekend provides some fun and relaxation. Keeping my fingers crossed things calm down and get easier soon!

 

[travelmum]

I have everything crossed for you too!

It does get easier - but then they hit the teen years and it's a whole other ballgame! Haha! Keep smiling, you're doing a great job!

 

[doctormama]

I have everything crossed for you too!

It does get easier - but then they hit the teen years and it's a whole other ballgame! Haha! Keep smiling, you're doing a great job!

That sounds like another level of challenge which I'm sure comes with its own set of excitement and rewards. Thanks for your encouragement; hoping to enjoy this weekend as best as possible! Have a fabulous one yourself!

 

[bubblyfish]

You too, have fun this weekend and enjoy some quality time with the little one!

 

[sunnybunny]

Thank you! Hoping to get some good toddler-friendly activities up our sleeve over the weekend - it's been a challenging few weeks behaviourally so we could use some fun! Have a great one yourself