Top 10 toddler taming tips from Caroline, age 2.5

1. If a kid chews up crayons, switch to colored pencils - grownups aren't that good at resisting temptation either.
2. If you catch a temper tantrum early enough, simple distraction still works: ex. look at Dada, he’s eating a banana!
3. Time out is mightily effective, as long as you are consistent. Bonus: kids learn to count to forty pronto.
4. A bag full of balloons can fill up an entire afternoon and the living room too, needless to say, try this only if fully supervised.
5. Just keep reading to her. Don’t ask if she wants to, saying no is way too easy when you are 2.
6. On the other hand, a little TV can be relaxing for everyone, especially after a long day on the swings.
7. Want to get a toddler's attention? Get down on her level and look her in the eye.
8. Naps are boring, so parents need to be even more boring than a nap. If there is a crowd of people around, fuggedabout it.
9. Never try to force a kid to eat something she doesn’t think she wants. Coercision is an altogether different animal.
10. Even if a toddler looks like she isn’t paying attention to you, and you suspect she’s got other things on her mind, like where the head of her baby doll is and why pink, heart shaped pencil erasers don’t taste as good as they look, chances are she really is listening. Getting an answer out of her, that is another story.

Filed under: toddler tales Friday fun