Handling a tough toddler is never easy, but one big plus is being able to maintain your cool and be patient.  Ha!   Easier said than done, parents everywhere yell.   As difficult as it sometimes is, parents must remember that toddlers tend to mirror your emotions.   Toddlers take cues from you, so if you’re projecting a negative energy, the toddler will project back the same negative energy.

Handling your difficult toddler isn’t as simple and quick as saving money at the office.  Finding valuable business coupon is as simple as running some rudimentary Internet searches.  Employing some searching savvy gets you business software coupons lightening-fast.  This is all easy for you because you know the steps, and you know how to get it done.   Learning to deal with a toddler isn’t too much different, really, you need to follow simple steps and keep your cool.

A first strategy is to teach ahead of time what you want your toddler to do.   Say you want your child to get into the car seat without a big fight; try practicing getting in the car seat inside the house.  Try bringing the car seat in, or if that isn’t convenient, have fun making a pretend car seat.  Turn it into a game.  Make it a game.   If you can manage to teach the desired response ahead of time, you have a greater chance of getting that behavior in the moment that you want it.  Be liberal with your praise, and always make these practice sessions fun.

Another strategy is to describe to your child what you expect from him or her, and explain the reward or consequence associated with that behavior.   Perhaps you give a small piece of candy (just one!) each time the child sits on the potty chair.  By laying out the expectation ahead of time, this isn’t actually “bribery.”   This is establishing a positive consequence for a particular behavior you desire.  You could also employ a time out if the child does not perform the behavior you wish to encourage.   In simple, short language, describe to the child the response you desire in order to be released from the time out.

Here are just a few quick tips to help you better handle your spirited toddler.

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