Sunday, November 25, 2012

Toddler-ese

We finally watched the "Happiest Toddler in the Block" by Harvey Karp this past weekend. It gives you tips and tricks for relating to your toddler, keeping them happy, and stopping tantrums.

My girls throw tantrums mostly over wanting something the other has, wanting me or Kevin to pick them up, or wanting "more" of something (crackers, goldfish, milk, etc).

After watching the DVD, the main points I took away from it is they want their issues to be acknowledged, and they want to be spoken to in a language they understand. For instance, if Kylie is upset because Kendall is playing with my tablet, I should pull her aside and say "Kylie upset, Kylie sad. Kylie want mommy's computer". Let them know that you empathize with them. Before, I would always try to re-direct. If Kylie was throwing a fit over Kendall having something she wants, I would just try to get her interested in something else. This makes them feel like you aren't acknowledging their concerns. If you were taking to an adult who was upset, you would never say "look at that tree!". They would look at you like you were crazy, and also feel like you did not care about them and whatever they are upset over. Same deal applies to a toddler, but in much simpler terms.

Toddler-ese is speaking in short one or two word sentences. This is speaking in terms they understand. You shouldn't speak to a toddler like they are a little adult, you should speak to them like they are a toddler. "Kylie sad" instead of "I know you're upset that Kendall is playing with that, but..." Way too many words for a 1-3 year old.

This is all things that make sense once you really think about them. I am lucky to have pretty good girls, but they do throw their share of tantrums. I'm eager to keep using these tips and see if they work out!

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