Terrible Toddler Phases
Written by Jana Angeles
Terrible toddler phases are something we all dread at some point. It’s not easy having to manage a little personality and it becomes even more challenging when they go through certain phases. In this article, we address all the different ones you would come across while watching your little one rule the world.
It’s a battle parents deal with on an ongoing basis. It’s definitely taught us a couple of learning curves along the way about parenting and the challenges we have to anticipate in the future.
Toilet Training
Toilet training can be described as a special kind of phase for all parents. You’re beginning to transition your child from using nappies and pull ups to flushing the toilet after they’re done with their business. There comes a point where there will be accidents and unexpected spills in the bathroom or living room floors.
It’s not a glamourous task to teach your toddler how to toilet train and it can be difficult if they’re quite stubborn about not sitting still. Have patience and a sense of humour in this phase; you’ll thank yourself later!
Wants To Be Carried All The Time
When you’re new parents, it’s exciting being able to hold your bundle of joy. You even love the idea of holding them forever. But, what happens when your toddler suddenly wants to be carried all the time? How do you keep your sanity from the demands of this little trooper?
All of us don’t like the idea of ‘spoiling’ our kids so we must encourage walking despite the attitude they give us. Remember that you and your partner can back each other up when you know you have a hard battle to overcome.
When ‘No’ Becomes Their Favourite Word
This is probably the worst one out of the toddler phases. Saying ‘no’ just becomes a habit to them – how terrible! How do they even know what the word means? Why don’t they love us anymore? These are the questions that are running through your head.
Do your best not to get offended and convince them to say otherwise. You just have to keep fighting until they do eat those vegetables they hate or if they’re overdue for a bath. Healthy eating and proper hygiene is a must – they’ll thank us in the future for it!
Leaving The Crib
When you’re up watching your favourite TV show until 2am in the morning, it’s very unlikely for you to be up early in the morning doing things. As parents, you have to do the stuff you love ‘after-hours’ – meaning once you put your little one to bed and lights are out!
As they grow older, toddlers become cheeky in their own way and start to leave the crib, waking you up mid-dawn and asking you for the bottle or a quick cuddle. Have patience, maybe get to sleep earlier because those early wake ups are going to be so common, you’d probably want to pull your hair out!
The Opinionated Child
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right? When your toddler starts to babble out sentences, that’s when the real trouble starts! If you’ve found that they’re starting to share an opinion or two on everything you say to them, it’s time to put your foot down.
Even if it starts to become annoying, respect your child’s opinion but also provide feedback that allows them to grow and think about other perspectives. Besides that, allowing them to have an open-mind will help them form stronger opinions that make sense to themselves.
The Picky Eater
You’ve cooked some delicious salmon for the family and some healthy side salad as the superfood sidekick. Once you plate it all up, your toddler starts yelling and screaming, demanding that the food that they only want to eat is potato chips and chicken nuggets.
Alarm bells start ringing in your head because you don’t know what to do and you find yourself having your own meltdown instead. Dealing with a picky eater can be tough work but with a little persistence, you can encourage your toddlers or even trick them into eating food that’s good for them. You just have to be clever about the routes you take when it comes to the food chain!
The phases mentioned above are your typical toddler behaviours you’ll come across. Even if you feel like you’re going insane, just remember your little one is not driving you mad on purpose.
They are just being kids, showing a little personality and chaos to add to the balance. Always remember your friends and family will support you even through these trying times. No matter what phase you go through, you will learn so much and overcome each challenge with strength and encourage positive parenting.