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10 Toddler Tips for Problem Behaviors

Does your toddler have the worst behavior at home? Maybe it happens at the playground, or only in the grocery store? Some days are worse then others, but do not dismay. When you are experiencing a case of the bad behavior with your little one, there are hundreds of resources for you to turn to! Because of the wealth of information out there, it can be quite overwhelming to browse the internet and parenting magazines alone, so we have searched the web for solutions, tips and advice for you!

Here are 10 toddler problem behaviors and how to deal with them. Click on the links for the full article and more resources on each topic!

1. Toddlers Who Have Separation Anxiety!

The intensity and severity of separation anxiety can vary from day to day with your toddlers. Depending on your child's age and level of understanding, this behavior can occur when dropping them off at daycare or the minute you step out to another room in your home. While this is most likely just a phase your child is going through, it can be very frustrating for both you and your child, as well as the caregiver you are attempting to leave your child with!

Here are 5 tips on dealing with this behavior:

  1. Teach Toddlers to Have Independent Play
  2. Practice Short Separations and Practice Parting
  3. Be Consistent!
  4. Try Using a Transitional Object or Stuffed Animal
  5. Learn Your Toddler's Triggers 

If you need a good laugh, read this article from Anxious Toddlers Blog! And remember, this is a normal part of being a toddler, so have patience while you ride this phase out!

2. Toddlers Who Just Won't Eat or Make Mealtime a Chore!

It is a known fact that some toddlers just don't want to eat what is being served. Other children aged 2 and up may still ask to be breastfed or will only take the bottle, against mom's wishes! So how do you curb naughty behavior at dinner time? Janet Lansbury shares some great ideas here!

Try making mealtime a fun activity! Author of cremedelachef, Deborah Song shares some great tips and strategies. And be sure to visit Parenting Science where they give several sources on how to get a picky eater to chow down too!

Related Article: All-in-One Patty Recipe

3. Toddlers Who Tantrum! (like more then you care to admit!)

Tantrums can wear at any parent's soul, making daily activities and errands seem impossible! When your child tantrums, you have several choices on how to react. Most important, you know your child best.

Here are 5 great resources to deal with toddler outbursts and what to do when you feel like you will lose your cool!

  1. Dealing with Tantrums from Positive Parenting: Toddlers and Beyond
  2. 10 Ways to Tame Toddler Tantrums from Parents.com
  3. Handling Temper Tantrums With Kids from Dirt and Boogers
  4. Tips for Handling Tantrums from Toddler Approved
  5. The Distraction/Replacement Method from What's Up Fagans

4. Toddlers Who Just Will Not Go to Bed (Or Take a Nap!)

Toddlers have many reasons why they refuse to adhere to your bedtime and nap routines. Some children just have a "night owl" mentality, and need to be worn out before bed, and others may need a very structured sleep training schedule in order to get them down for the night. Many parents have an opposite work schedule, which in turn causes an opposite sleep schedule, and children often do not magically choose that same schedule!

So, if you are an exhausted momma, or a sleep deprived dad, here are some tips to get your kids to sleep better through the night and hopefully, take that much needed daytime snooze!

  1. Start Slow and Give It Time!
  2. Create a Bedtime Routine
  3. Make Bedtime Fun!
  4. Wear Them Out!
  5. Create a Calm Sleep Environment

5. Toddlers Who Are Too Shy and Have Stranger Anxiety!

It can be frustrating, it can be embarrassing, and it can be downright comical! According to the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development, Stranger Anxiety occurs in infants and children when approached by a person they do not know, even when in a secure environment or with a trusted caregiver. Children typically begin to exhibit shyness or stranger anxiety at about 9 months, and it can last well into the toddler stages (and sometimes into elementary school). The good news is, this is all very normal behavior.

Here are some tips from parents around the web on how they dealt with this behavior in their children!

  1. Know Your Child 
  2. Take It Slow
  3. Stay Close to Your Child
  4. Be Patient With Your Child and Encourage Adults to Be Patient Too!
  5. Tell Your Child What to Expect

Related Article: 5 Things Your Toddler Needs You to Know

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