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Toddlers (18 months to 3 years)

Development and Discipline

Toddlers are becoming independent and learning about the world they live in.

• Toddlers need to explore, run, climb, taste, and touch. They may get upset when you try to stop them.
• Toddlers know what they want and will tell you. They can get frustrated when you don't understand their words.
• Toddlers watch what others do and copy them. They will do what they see you, other family members, and characters from television or movies do.
• Toddlers have minds of their own, but they need you to help them when they get frustrated and to protect them from danger.
• Disciplining toddlers means gradually teaching them to control their impulses to touch, taste, jump, run, and climb.

Parent Question

What works to discipline my toddler?

• Give your toddler lots of love.
• Find things to say "yes" to.
• Let your child know you're pleased with good behavior.
• Never spank or shake your toddler.
• Put unsafe things out of your child's reach.
• When toddlers want something they can't have, sympathize with their disappointment or frustration and interest them in something they can have.
• Try to have a regular routine to your day.
• Parents need to be present at all times to serve as "brakes" for exploring toddlers.
• When you get tired or things become too much for you, give yourself a break from parenting.
• Ask yourself whether your child is misbehaving, or just trying to learn something.
• If you have made a "bad call" about your child's behavior, admit your mistake and apologize.
• Act the way you want your child to act. If you yell, so will your child.
• Make sure you have your child's attention; be specific and direct when you ask your child to do something.
• Be realistic about what your toddler can do independently.