12 lessons
#toddlers
Tantrums, words, biting, potty training and the wild toddler years.
Toddler & Preschool
Potty training: signs your child is ready, and how to start without a fight
Most children are ready somewhere between about 18 months and 3 years. Watch for the signs, keep it low-key, and expect accidents. Pressure tends to slow things down.
Toddler & Preschool
Serve and return: the everyday back-and-forth that builds a baby's brain
Your toddler points, you look and name it, they babble back. That tiny exchange, repeated thousands of times, is one of the most important things you'll ever do for their brain.
Secure Base
Daycare and preschool drop-off tears: how to say goodbye so it gets easier
Keep goodbyes short, warm and predictable, never sneak out, and always come back when you said you would. Tears at drop-off are normal, and usually a sign of a strong bond.
Toddler & Preschool
When your toddler bites or hits: what to do in the moment and after
Stop it calmly, comfort the child who got hurt, and teach what to do instead. Hitting back, biting back or yelling usually makes it worse.
Toddler & Preschool
Developmental milestones: what's typical, and when to ask for help
The CDC's milestone lists now show what most children (75% or more) can do by each age. If your child misses one, that's a reason to check in early, not to wait and see.
Toddler & Preschool
Screen time for toddlers and preschoolers: what the guidelines say
Pediatricians suggest skipping screens before 18 to 24 months except video chat, and about an hour a day of high-quality shows for ages 2 to 5, watched with you when you can.
Toddler & Preschool
How to help your toddler talk: what works, and when to check in
Talk with them, not at them. Name things, wait for answers, read together, and keep an eye on the CDC milestones so a delay doesn't slip by unnoticed.
Toddler & Preschool
Water safety for kids: how drowning really happens, and the layers that prevent it
Drowning is fast and quiet. Pediatricians recommend layers of protection: close, undistracted supervision, pool fencing, swim lessons, life jackets, and CPR skills for adults.
Toddler & Preschool
Transitions without tears: helping kids switch from one thing to the next
Leaving the park, turning off a show, getting out the door: transitions trigger a lot of meltdowns. Warnings, routines, small choices and a little play make them smoother.
Toddler & Preschool
Picky eating: how to stop the dinner battles without giving up on vegetables
You decide what, when and where food is served. Your child decides whether and how much to eat. That split, plus lots of no-pressure exposure, ends most food fights.
Toddler & Preschool
Toddler tantrums: what is going on inside, and what actually helps
Tantrums follow a surprisingly predictable pattern. Knowing the shape of one makes it far easier to stay calm and get through it.
Toddler & Preschool
A bedtime routine that actually works, according to sleep research
A consistent bedtime routine is one of the best-studied sleep interventions for young children. Here's what it should include and how to keep it short.
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