McToddlers

how wonderful you have joined me – today going to dive into the world of toddlers. What to do with them, how to keep them alive and strive to keep their happiness before tantrum hood…You are the keeper of a fragile balance and you better have snacks.

Looking backwards i can see a trail of exhaustion, an overwhelming sense of doom and confusion that followed me like little messy feet . Thus confusion has now lifted into what i like to call experience, no I’m not an expert but i do have a few things that really stick out…

1) FEED, SLEEP, COMMUNICATE

FEED- Don’t go ANYWHERE without SNACKS. You have a toddler, it is now a right of passage that snacks live in every car you own, every purse you carry, diaper bags, glove boxes, snack trays, wagons.. you get the idea. Snacks have 2 functions, to nourish your kid and keep them busy. Try your best to make healthy choices but more often than not- stale cheerios will do just fine.

I was blessed with a toddler, (like his father) seems to be allergic to vegetables in their natural state. So -i camouflage . Zucchini muffins, Green smoothies, those overpriced squeezes (yea yea i know i can make it but really..) but it all works, and then there is weekly mcdonalds; que gasping mothers everywhere. Only kidding but it is a good value, break from the boredom of repititious (that a word?) toddler meals. Also can’t beat that its conveniently located inside the neighbourhood walmart during grocery getaways. They get a toy and I don’t have to prep, clean and referee lunchtime.

But Serious, fed toddlers are happier toddlers. Invest in as many little ziplock/tupperware/dollar store containers as you can and keep them well stocked momma. 

SLEEP-Kids need rest. You do too… so get them to sleep/nap/quiet time as many times as they will take. (Of course within reason, life happened and there are going to be things, events, dates you don’t want to miss but I’m talking about the other 99% of the time).. Looking back i think that i made this a priority and although i had to miss a few playdates and scheduled appointments later or earlier in the day – we both ended up a little happier because of it. I had a chance to rest, catch up on life, pin… it all worked out and i still think nap times & bedtimes are uber important because those little rascals are growing and need the downtime.

COMMUNICATE- Toddlers may be tiny but they are smart and understand far more than we give them credit for. I have learnt this on many of occasions… I find that the times where i have communicated clearly with my little about what will be going on, what we have planned, why we are doing this, when we are doing this, etc.. things have gone FAR more smoothly!!! Littles brains take in so much stimui and are constantly learning cause and reaction so why not apply that lesson here. ‘Momma doesn’t want you to do that because you could get hurt and then momma would be sad..’, ‘We need to get groceries so we can make supper and fill our tummies and be healthy, and we are blessed to be able to do so’, ‘don’t lick your shoes because you walk on the floor and there are germs’. Of course they don’t need a textbook explanation but a cause and effect (in my experience) has prepared my little with understanding about what is happening. If we break it down to the simplicity of that- ‘WHAT IS HAPPENING??’ more than likely they don’t have a clue WHY or often WHAT.