5 Crazy-Easy Tips for Dealing with Toddlers and Preschoolers

As a parent of a toddler or preschooler, you know that life is an adventure. It’s full of surprises, unexpected turns, and extensive learning. But when talking to most parents or caregivers, you hear about how dealing with toddlers and preschoolers can often be challenging, especially when establishing boundaries or expectations. To help you out, here are five simple proven strategies to help make the parenting process a little bit easier.

1. Setting Boundaries for Your Toddler? Here’s How…

Establishing clear boundaries is the first crazy-easy tip for dealing with toddlers and preschoolers. As a parent, it’s crucial to establish clear boundaries and expectations for your child’s behavior. Doing so can help them learn self-discipline and respect for others. But how do you ensure that your child understands and adheres to it? Here are a few tips to help you explain and enforce acceptable behavior.

Explain Why Certain Behaviors Are Not Acceptable

When explaining why certain behaviors are unacceptable to your child, it’s best to start by using an example. Let’s say, for instance, that your child is pushing. You can ask them how they would feel if someone pushed them. As they explain their feelings, you can help them connect the dots to understand that they should not push others because they do not like to being pushed themselves.  

Set Rules and Consequences

Once you’ve explained acceptable behaviors and the reasons for them, it’s time to set clear rules. Talking to my toddler and allowing her to determine the consequences often help. That way, when the event occurs, it is not me as the big bad parent taking something, but the adult helping them stay integrous and limiting the number of rules/ consequences you set is best, as too many can overwhelm a child.

Be Consistent in Enforcing Rules

It’s paramount to remain consistent in enforcing rules, as this helps your child understand and remember expectations. When your child does something wrong, you can use the opportunity to explain why it was not the best decision and how they can make a better decision next time. A key thing to remember after enforcing rules or consequences is to remind your child that you love them, as they can feel that your love is conditional on their behavior. 

Praise Your Child’s Good Behavior

Recognizing and praising your child every time they make good decisions and behave well is essential. 

I once heard a parent say it’s okay to criticize and condemn your child; however, make sure you use the same level of intensity, energy, and tone when you praise them.

Praising your child will encourage them to make positive choices and grow into responsible adults. So don’t forget to praise your child’s good behavior!

If you follow these tips, setting boundaries will become a breeze. Your child will understand what is expected of them, and you’ll have more peace of mind.

2. Showing Affection: The Key to Raising Happy and Secure Kids

We all want our toddlers and preschoolers to grow up to be confident, secure individuals, which forms by receiving love and affection. Of course, discipline is a part of parenting, but what’s paramount to developing into a confident, self-loving adult is validation, praise, and hugs. These things make them feel secure and loved, making them more receptive and understanding of your rules and expectations.

Here are a few simple yet meaningful ways to show your little one you care:

• A gentle hug or kiss

• A special activity together

• A proud compliment when they do something well

• A proud compliment because they exist

• A fun surprise gift

• A bedtime story to show them you care

• A heartfelt “I love you”

These small gestures go a long way in showing your toddler or preschooler just how much you love them. Plus, there are many benefits of showing affection, i.e.:

• Help your child feel secure and loved

• Strengthens your relationship with your child

• Gives your child a sense of belonging

• Helps your child build self-confidence

• Encourages good behavior

Showing your child love and affection is one of the best ways to help them grow into a happy and secure adult. It’s also the best way to strengthen your relationship with your little one. So don’t forget to give them hugs and show them you care. They will thank you for it later!

3. Make Time for Fun

Spending quality time with your child is essential for nurturing a strong bond and helping them learn necessary life skills. Why not make the most of your time together and engage in fun activities? Research shows that having fun with your child helps build strong bonds and encourages healthy development. It can also be an opportunity for parents to show their children that learning, playing, and exploring can all be enjoyable.

Here are some tips for spending and enjoying time with your little one:

• Let your child lead the way and choose their favorite activities.

• Incorporate educational elements into the activities, such as counting and spelling.

• Encourage creativity and exploration.

• Be silly and have fun!

Here are some ideas for parents to consider that combine fun and learning into one:

• Storytime: Have your child pick a favorite book or tell a story together.

• Nature walks: Spend an hour exploring your local park or neighborhood, looking for different types of plants and animals.

• Creative projects: Have your child create a painting, sculpture, or another art project.

• Game night: Gather the family and play a board or card game. <y toddler loves Go Fish!

• Imaginary play: Let your child’s imagination run wild with a pretend play session.

Whatever activity you choose, it’s important to remember that having fun with your child is just as important as teaching them profound life lessons. Fun activities foster trust and communication between parents and their children.

4. Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers: Patience is Key!

What’s the secret to successful parenting of toddlers and preschoolers? We all know it – patience! When it comes to parenting, there’s no greater teacher than patience. From the morning your little one wakes up until they go to bed, your toddler’s tantrums and outbursts test you. But with a bit of practice, patience can be cultivated. Remember that the ultimate goal is to help your child learn and grow because they are a child! 

So, when things get overwhelming, take a deep breath and stay calm. In those moments, it can be helpful to take a step back and remind yourself of all the fantastic progress your child has made and how far they have come.

Here are some tips for practicing patience with your toddler:

Note: It will take some time and practice to learn…

• Take a deep breath and count to 10 before responding to your toddler

• Focus on understanding your toddler’s feelings and needs

• Communicate calmly and clearly with your toddler

• Be mindful of your words, tone, and body language

The rewards of practicing patience with your toddler will be worth it. You’ll create and cultivate a calm and understanding environment. 

5. Give Them the Space to Express Their Feelings

We’ve all been there. Your toddler or preschooler is having a tantrum and you can feel your own frustration and stress levels rising. But it’s important to remember that these little ones cannot express their feelings in words yet. So instead of trying to suppress these emotions or make them feel guilty for having them, let’s give them the space to express themselves without judgment.

At this age, the best way to help them is to validate their feelings and let them know it’s ok to feel the way they do. This will help them develop the emotional regulation skills they need later in life. A great technique to use is to label their emotions for them. Here is one of my conversations with my toddler, “Can you tell me what you are feeling? OK, thank you for letting me know how you feel. It makes sense that you feel angry. Can you tell me where you feel the anger? OK, in your hands; thank you for letting me know. What do you want to do with this anger?” A basic conversation lets them know that their emotions are okay, and valid and that you understand and empathize with them BEFORE you try to get them out of it.

Remembering tantrums are a normal part of childhood allows us to step back and give them room to show and express their feelings. It is challenging, but it will help them become more emotionally aware and equip them to navigate their feelings in the long run.

Here are a few tips for how to create a safe space for your kids to show their feelings:

• Be supportive and understanding – Let your child know they can express their feelings, and you will listen without judgment.

• Encourage communication – Talk to your child and ask them questions about why they feel the way they do.

• Validate their feelings – Let them know that it’s OK to feel whatever they’re feeling. Even if you disagree with their feelings, validating them is essential.

• Offer comfort – Provide your children physical comfort, such as a hug or a place to sit and talk.

• Be a role model – Show your child how you healthily express your emotions.

Giving your child the space to express their feelings is vital for their emotional development. It will also help you better understand your child.

Wrap Up

When you think about it, it’s amazing what your child can learn in just a few short years. From discovering the world around them to express their feelings, they take in so much information in such a short amount of time. As parents, we all want to guide our little ones to become the best version of themselves.

Therefore, together let’s set healthy boundaries, constantly show affection and express praise, make time for fun every day, express patience in challenging moments, and allow them to express their feelings without judgment. By following these tips, parenting can become a little bit easier and more enjoyable. After all, our goal is to help our children grow and learn healthily and positively.

Children don’t lack capacity; they simply haven’t found the teacher.