7 Tips on Making It Work With Your Infant and Toddler 

You are parenting two children who are very demanding in completely different ways. Your 2-year-old isn’t listening because he’s undergoing the greatest brain development of his life. Then there’s the baby. She has needs too: feeding, sleeping, comforting, bathing. The change from the womb to the outside world is as challenging for her as it is for you. You want to meet the needs of both children, but they both seem to simultaneously demand your attention, leaving little room for peace and harmony.

In fact, It’s never easy being a mom trying to juggle a full-time job with family life. More moms than ever are in the workforce. In fact, being a full-time working mother can lead to feelings of guilt and stress because of divided attention between work and family, especially infants and toddlers. The key is to focus on a plan, get organized, and find the right balance between profession and parenthood. There tends to be fear about “messing up” kids such as not being enough, unknowingly traumatizing them, unresolved experiences, the list goes on. 

As a parent, in your eyes, your child may be a perfect little angel but sometimes, they can also be a little bit too mischievous. Just a moment being unsupervised, and something is likely to get damaged, spilt or broken. There are days, where they set out to push every boundary and break every rule. For instance, you find him rummaging through everything in the kitchen cabinet. The food is completely spilt on the floor. Another time, they play with the tissue roll in the bathroom. Each time you catch them bending a rule, you get angry and frustrated.

Here are some tips to work with infants and toddlers.

So how do you work with infants and toddlers?

1. Take a step into the child’s world, from their point of view.

Whenever they act out, try to look for a solution to what they are doing. Just sit with them, play and talk to them. Through this, you will be able to fix the mistakes and think about what they were doing from their point of view. It will then directly related to what had happened. They might just want your attention for doing such. Yelling and scolding will not fix the broken items but try to see from their point of view, it will help you fix a mistake.

 2. Letting them make mistakes.

You might be thinking this is not a way to discipline infants and toddlers, yet it might not even work. In fact, it is time to calm your own expectations and fears. There will be a time when you will be sceptical about letting them make mistakes and wonder if it was the right choice. But if you do, you will start to notice how much they have grown. The more opportunities you let them play and make mistakes freely, they will start to ask for help when they make a mistake. This positive discipline allows you to treat your child in a respectful way.

3.Listen to what they might have to say.

Children are often curious and always set to go beyond y\our boundaries. But to discipline our child especially infant and toddler, the most important thing to connect with our child is to listen. We cannot influence our child in a positive way until we listen to what they have to say. For instance, each time they push our limit, try to slow down and listen to their explanation. This is the moment when we are able to provide understanding for our child and look beyond the mess they have done.

4. Offer corrections that are encouraging and respectful.

When our infant or toddler is making all those mischievous mistakes, don’t just assume they are being bad or naughty. Instead, use these moments as guidance to offer them corrections that are encouraging. We can try to avoid the need to lecture and correct them by simply joining in with them. We will then realize that they are curious and playful. They will become more open to suggestions and listen as we guide them with words of encouragement. It is important to validate and acknowledge our child while disciplining them in a positive way.

5. Be present for their emotion, no matter the range.

This means if your child is upset, we pause and listen. If they are joyful, we consider the contents of their mind at that moment and share it. If they are angry, we hear them. We go by the mantra all emotion is acceptable and we’ll work with them for them to be able to manage behaviours that arise. As always, there are exceptions and imperfect humans will be less than available at times yet this is expected and all part of the process. Because perfection is never the goal.

6. Create Family Activities.
Making time for your kids is crucial, both during the week and on the weekends, to nurture your family dynamic and allow everyone to bond. If you’re pressed for time, have a family breakfast or a family night with board games or movies. By creating activities that regularly fit into your or everyone schedule so everyone knows what to expect and what to look forward to that week. Furthermore, when you do have family outings, avoid talking about work or checking your phone. Instead, focus on your toddler’s interests such as hobbies, likes and dislikes.

7. Be Flexible and Willing to Adjust Your Parenting Style.

Kids’ environments have an effect on their behaviour, so you might be able to change that behaviour by changing the environment. If you find yourself constantly saying “no” to your 2-year-old toddler, look for ways to alter your surroundings so that fewer things are off-limits. This will cause less frustration for both of you. As your child changes, you’ll gradually have to change your parenting style. Chances are, what works with your child now won’t work as well in a year or two. As they grew older, they tend to look less to their parents and more to their peers for role models. But continuous guidance, encouragement, and appropriate discipline make all the difference in how a child receives it.