No one looks forward to potty training. It can feel like a time consuming process and a task that has to be conquered by parent’s and caregivers. It is often a time of great insecurity for toddlers as well. Gaining a better understanding of this developmental step can help everyone relax and enjoy the wonders of child development. First, let’s stop calling it training. Instead let’s call it mastery. To gain mastery over one’s body is a skill that generalizes to all other areas of physical development. A parent’s feelingful understanding of how confusing body mastery can be for their toddler, is what makes it doable for the child.
There are a few simple steps that encourage the completion of this task: • Allow the toddler to let you know when they are ready. • Identify other areas of the toddler's life that can be clean and orderly such as: hand washing, bathing, putting toys away etc... 3) Begin with daytime mastery and then overnight mastery; limiting overwhelming feelings. 4) Help the toddler embrace "accidents" as learning opportunities rather than using discipline. 5) Use clothing and underwear that is manageable for the toddler, encouraging a "can do" feeling. Staying true to these simple steps can make the mastery of elimination a joy for toddler and parents. For answers to these types of questions and more call the Cypress Family Center at 216-407-5993 or 216-280-2741.
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In most toddlers fear represents healthy development. As toddlers learn to assert their will they often experience feelings as bigger than they really are. Parents can help by reminding children that they are bigger than their worries. On the other hand, repeatedly seeking out being scared by insisting on being tossed in the air, scaring others with a sudden "boo", rough housing with older peers is often mistaken for pleasure when it is really an attempt to conquer a fear. Minimizing over-excitement during this developmental phase helps toddlers progress through normal forms of fears and worries in bearable bits.
There can be many sources to sleep troubles in toddlers e.g. - sleeping without parents, sleeping in unfamiliar places, absence of routine, no ability to calm oneself, etc. The answer is associated with the source. Good detective work and a commitment to support what is helpful to developing adequate sleep routines for toddler and others in the home is needed. For example, toddlers sleeping with their parents may need to move in bearable bit toward their own bed. Having parents sit by their bed until they sleep is a good start to transitioning. Always let your child know that you will be leaving once they are asleep so they do not wake up to a surprise. For a child who struggles to calm themselves, something as simple as determining soothing sounds to play at bed time may be the fastest answer. If this does not work, then more investigation is needed to determine the reason for difficulty with self-soothing.
At the Cypress Family Center we believe that the foundations of success in adulthood are built during the earliest years of life. Our core program is the toddler enrichment class during which care givers are helped to support toddler independence and are educated in effective strategies for managing those behaviors that traditionally make the twos “terrible.” Changes in the demands of preschool have led children to have increasing difficulty with focus, attention and separation from parents. It has become important to address these issues in toddlers so that they can enter preschool with the ability to enjoy being school children. Our services, including our parent guidance and group discussions, are designed to support parents in being in “feeling touch” with their children. We believe that when parents see behavior as communication, the code is broken and everyone feels understood which makes the whole family happier.
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AuthorsKimberly and Anita have a combined 30 + years of experience working with young children and their families. See the bio page for more information. Archives
October 2015
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