My book, Trust Me, I’m A Toddler, is finally available in paperback in addition to the pdf and kindle versions.
In celebration of this I have decided to give away two paperback copies to two of my readers!
Enter here to be in with a chance of winning one of two copies of Trust Me, I’m A Toddler -
To be entered in to the draw, simply follow the blog at the foot of this page, then like the facebook page via the link above and follow the instructions to enter! Easy!
My son has a new toy, an orange tractor which he is very proud of. He has very few toys (by comparison to typical western families) and I bought this on a whim when I saw how much he loved it, and his whole face lit up.
I work part-time as a childminder so every week children come to the house and play with “his” things. The evening before a little boy, (who I will call Josh for the purpose of this article) was due to come, my little boy held on tight to his tractor, quietly saying “Josh isn’t going to play with my tractor.”
**This is a guest post from Ariadne Brill of Positive Parenting Connection**
“I do it ME self!”
“I wanted to do it!”
“Me. Me. Go Way. ME DO IT!”
“I starting again, to do it MY way mama.”
There is a phase in the toddler years where children are intensely interested in doing things for themselves, in a specific way and on
their own time table, it’s an incredibly wonderful time for children,
sometimes frustrating, but full of learning. Often this phase can be
incredibly frustrating for parents and caregivers as well. The desire to jump in and show the “right way” or to just “get things done” and move along can inadvertently create a whole lot of disconnect and power struggles between parents and children.
So how do we find a balance between welcoming independence, encouraging the curious and determined toddler and meeting the needs of the whole family?
I offer a parent to parent mentoring service via skype voice. Sometimes we need the support and guidance of someone who can help us to identify issues, support our choices and offer practical solutions to explore as a family, and that is what I am here to offer you. If you are looking to bring more connection, joy and cooperation into your family, this service is for you.
In the wild, you will see time and time again, the mother of a species forging ahead, with her children following behind her. From ducklings to polar bears, these mothers know without a doubt that their young will follow their lead, and in turn, those tiny ducklings and bears know that they must follow their mother in order to ensure their survival.
We can look on at them in wonder, but it may surprise you to learn that this drive to follow and stay near their parent, is actually a drive that our species is born with too. As infants we cry when separated from our mother, knowing that she is our key to making it in this big new world. As we begin to crawl and feel more brave, we may begin to branch out further and further, however we will always keep tabs on our protectors whereabouts. As we approach our first birthday, we may cry when we loose sight of this important person, experiencing those frightening feelings of separation anxiety, knowing that our rightful place is with the very person we can no longer see.
