Managing Your Toddler’s Behavior A famous parenting expert, Penelope Leach, reminds us that our toddlers are “no longer a baby, but not yet a child.” Toddlers have specific needs for guidance, attention and structure. Here are a few things to keep in mind. 1. Toddlers need a great deal of structure in their lives. We can develop these plans by making sure that we are realistic in our expectations of their attention span, activity level and understanding. Check with our web site section on child development for more specific information. Keep routines in order, as you go through the daily events of dressing, eating, bathing and bedtime. The more a toddler expects these daily activities, the easier it is to make sure they are completed successfully. 2. Toddlers need to feel they have some control or “say” in their lives. Give your toddler just two choices for snack, drinks and clothes. You may say, “Would you like to wear your sweater or your jacket, today?” to avoid a conflict. You know that either choice fine. Offer these choices only when you know the outcome is safe and healthy. 3. Transitioning from one activity to another can be difficult for toddlers. Picking up toys to music or coming to the table “like a butterfly” will make those changes easier to make. Toddlers, like all of us, respond best when they are warned about an activity change approaching. “When this CD is over we need to put the crayons away and get ready for bath time,” may be a way to ease into the next activity. 4. Know your toddlers schedule. Plan trips to the store when your toddler is well rested and not hungry. This can avoid melt downs. If you must run an errand, let your child know where you will be going and that you will play when you get home. You may consider bringing a snack along if you can. 5. Give your toddler a lot of your time and attention. The more we nurture and comfort our young children, the less time and energy they spend misbehaving. We can find ways to show our toddlers what behavior we want from them, and praise them when they do. The toddler time in our child’s life is a time of fast growth and immense curiosity. We can enjoy the world together as we discover new thing Action for Children: Tip Card-Managing Your Toddler’s Behavior 1 Type the document title 2 .