Children have been put in time out for as long as children and parents can remember. Experts and parents usually agree that time out can be a great tool for correcting unwanted behavior in children of all ages. In smaller toddlers it can be a chance for the parent and the child to both cool off, and in older children it will allow them to reflect on what they have done wrong. Soon enough, toddlers will learn that when they do something wrong, they end up in time out and the normal response is to start avoiding that action.

Time Outs and the Toddler

Time outs are a useful tool with toddlers because it is a great way to show children that there is a consequence for every action. When you throw sand at someone or hit someone or throw a toy you will be removed from the situation and you will have to be by yourself. This is not fun for a toddler and it forces them to see the link between unwanted behavior and what they perceive as a negative experience.

The key is not how many time outs a toddler has each day, but in the message that is getting across to them during these time outs. Another important factor is that the time out is neither too long or nor too short. A good rule of thumb is that the child has to spend as many minutes in time out as they are old in years. So, a two year old would spend two minutes in time out and a four year old would have four minutes in time out. It may not sound like a long time, but you’ll find in the world of a toddler that it is an excruciatingly long time.

Time outs should only be used when the toddler has really done something inappropriate and the parent needs a tool in correcting the behavior. For instance, if your child accidentally spills their milk this is not a time for timeout, rather it is a time to talk about being more careful. If your child throws his or her cup of milk, this is a time for time out. You can place the child in timeout while you attempt to clean up, but when time out is over it needs to be discussed as to why this is inappropriate behavior.

The most important key to time out is being consistent. If something is serious enough for time out once it should be every time. Your child will then learn that the consequence is always time out, something that they do not like. If you talk about why they were put in timeout afterward, you will find that the incidence of timeouts will lessen as they get older.

When you make the transition from bottle or breast to a toddler cup you feel like you have just accomplished something truly great. It’s freeing in a lot of ways and suddenly you feel like you have a kid instead of a baby. You may feel delighted that your child has adapted to the cup so well, until you find them sitting with a cup of whole milk guzzling it down. You may be appalled at the fact that they are drinking milk that is a few hours old, but they don’t seem fazed. Like most parents, you may then wonder if the whole milk is safe for them to be drinking or not!

Toddler Cups and Warm Milk

It’s normal for a toddler to toddle off with their cup full of milk. You assume that they are going to drink it, but then awhile later you find them drinking it happily. Chances are, if your toddler does this and doesn’t complain about the milk that it is still safe to drink and it will cause no harm to them. Of course, a toddler doesn’t know how long the milk has been out, so you need to know what sort of time frame is safe and what is not.

According to most experts, milk can sit out at room temperature for two hours and still be safe to use. If the milk has been out for two hours and 15 minutes chances are it is probably still safe, but you probably shouldn’t take that risk with your child. Any time you find a toddler cup that has been sitting out and it has been out for two hours or more, dump the milk out, rinse the cup, and start over! It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

A great way to avoid drinking old milk is to ensure that your child does not leave the kitchen or dining area with the cup. This can be difficult to do, especially when you have worked so hard to get your toddler to accept the cup, but this will help you keep tabs on the milk. If you can, tell your toddler that once they are done drinking that they should put their cup in the refrigerator or that they should give it to you to put in the refrigerator.

Your toddler can continue to drink out of a cup as long as it has not been out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. If your child drinks out of a cup and then puts it in the refrigerator they can continue to drink out of that cup for 24 hours, but anything longer may allow for bacteria to grow in the cup. Toddler cups should be washed every 24 hours, regardless of whether the child is drinking milk, juice, or water out of it.

We all want to think that we have the most intelligent children in the world. But, how do we know if our children really are gifted or if we are just biased because they are our children? Of course, many parents would tell you that their children are very smart for their age, but those same people might have to pause for thought if you asked if their children were gifted. Chances are, if you think your child may be gifted they probably are.

Recognizing the Gifted Toddler

We all want to think that our child is the most special of any of their peers, but this is different than being gifted. Some of the signs that your child may be gifted include things such as:

∙ Reaching developmental milestones ahead of their peers
∙ Has a special talent such as drawing or working with numbers
∙ Has a very advanced vocabulary or is further along in their language development than most children
∙ Is very curious and is always asking questions
∙ Is active but not hyperactive
∙ The child has the ability to concentrate on things for long periods of time
∙ Has a very vivid imagination
∙ The child has great memorization and recall abilities

There are other symptoms of giftedness in toddlers but these are the most common and the easiest to recognize. Many parents want to have their toddler’s tested to determine if they are gifted, but this usually isn’t necessary. The only time when it is really necessary is if the doctor thinks that there may also be other issues that need to be dealt with, such as autism. What many people don’t know is that giftedness is often associated with disabilities such as different forms of autism. If a doctor thinks that there may be some other issues they may have giftedness tested, but this is not always the case.

Many parents request for IQ tests to be given to their toddlers. While it would be nice to know what your toddlers IQ is, research has proven that tests given before the age of five really are unstable and not a good determination of true intelligence. Therefore, it is better to wait until a child is at least five to test them for giftedness in any way, and by that time it will probably be evident whether the child is gifted or not.

Being gifted can be a blessing and a curse. Many children who are gifted thrive socially and in all other areas of their lives. Some toddler’s begin to feel that they are different than other kids and they begin to withdrawal from social activities and don’t ever really learn to connect with others. As a parent of a gifted child, be sure to support their interests and their intelligence, but also remember that it is important for the child to be a child, and part of being a child is playing with their peers and having a good time.

Autism is something that many people worry about as it has become much better known than it used to be. There are many developmental norms and many parents wonder if their children fall inside of these norms or if they are autistic. This is a normal thing to worry about, but remember, as a parent you cannot diagnose autism on your own. Even if you think all of the signs and symptoms are there, you need to make sure to get a professional opinion. As parents we are always worried and often paranoid about our child’s development, especially when we think about conditions such as autism, and our paranoia can lead us to become more worried than we need to be.

What to Look for When You’re Worried About Autism

Autism is much rarer than most parents realize, but if you are worried that your child may have autism you should look for the following symptoms:

∙ Child avoids cuddling or touching
∙ Frequent tantrums
∙ Child has abnormal attachments to specific objects
∙ Child does not maintain or will not maintain eye contact
∙ No fear of danger
∙ Over or under sensitivity to pain
∙ Sustained abnormal play
∙ Abnormal motor skills
∙ Inability to respond appropriately to teaching methods and verbal cues

If your child has some or even all of these symptoms it does not necessarily mean that your child is autistic. If you suspect that your child is autistic you should bring them to your general practitioner or pediatrician and talk to them about your concerns. Your doctor can often determine in a matter of seconds or minutes whether or not your child is autistic. If the doctor has any question as to whether your child is autistic, they will send you to a pediatric neurologist or autism specialist who will work with you and your child to determine if there is a case of autism and if so, how it can be treated.

Just about every parent worries at one time or another if their child is autistic. The good news is that most children are not and they are simply going through a stage where they do things that make us wonder. Children are not carbon copied out of a textbook, they develop at their own rate and in their own way, so just because your child does or does not do something at what is considered a “normal” time doesn’t mean that they are autistic. Remember, if you are that worried the best thing you can do is to contact your doctor and have your child evaluated, chances are your doctor will tell you that you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

When our little babies begin sucking their thumbs we are often awe inspired at the way they are able to use their own little bodies to bring themselves comfort. Over time, though the things that were cute become habit and can even become a problem. Thumb sucking can become a huge problem and that is why if your toddler is still sucking his or her thumb you need to take steps to stop it. It can be a long process and you will need to be patient while you work with your child on breaking this habit that may have been with him since he or she was an infant.

Breaking the Habit

There are some things you can do with your child or talk about with your child that will help them see that thumb sucking is a negative thing at this point in their life. If your child is at least four or five, he or she could be doing permanent damage to their mouth and their teeth. You can help him or her see the changes that are happening to their teeth and their mouth by having them look in the mirror at their teeth and then comparing them to the teeth of their friends or siblings.

Another great way to help break a toddler from thumb sucking is to talk to them about the germs that are on our hands and how they can make us sick if they get into our mouths. Let your child know that big boys and big girls don’t suck their thumbs, so if they want to be considered a big kid, they need to give up the thumb sucking. Also let them know that they may be teased by other children if they continue to suck their thumb.

Let your child know that they are going to stop sucking their thumb this week. Try to keep their hands as busy as possible this first week with puzzles, drawing, and other activities that will take their mind off of thumb sucking. This will keep them from sucking their thumb and not sucking their thumb for this period of time will not be stressful.

Set up a reward system for your child and allow them to be part of it. Set a goal of going without thumb sucking for one whole day and allow them to pick the reward such as new crayons, dessert after dinner, or a new toy. Praise your child continuously when they are not sucking their thumbs during times when they normally would. Reward your child every other day after the first day.

Nighttime thumb sucking is the hardest to break. When your child goes to bed allow him or her to sleep with their favorite toy or blanket and remind them not to suck their thumb. After they fall asleep, remove the thumb from the mouth. It may take as long as three to six months to stop the nighttime thumb sucking, so be patient and consistent and soon enough you’ll find that your child no longer sucks his or her thumb during the day or night!

As a parent, you never want your child to be ill or have a fever, but fevers affect us all at one time or another. When your toddler presents with a high fever you may want to panic, but you need to keep in mind that when your child does have a fever, this is a good thing. A fever indicates that your child’s body is working properly, trying to rid itself of an infection of some type. When you keep this in mind, you can avoid panic and work to treat your toddler’s high fever. It’s important to stay calm and just work methodically to keep your child comfortable while we bring their fever down.

Treating Your Toddler’s High Fever

When you suspect that your toddler has a high fever the first thing you need to do is determine how high the fever is. The best way to do this is by taking a rectal temperature. This isn’t comfortable for your toddler, but it will give you the most accurate reading so that you can go about treating the information.

The first thing you should do is give your child an age and weight appropriate dosage of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. This will help to treat the fever from the inside and will also help to make your child more comfortable if they have a sore throat, body aches, or even a headache. This will help your child relax while you use other measures to help cool them down from the outside.

One thing that you need to be aware of with fevers in toddler’s, or anyone for that matter, is that you don’t want to induce chills. When the body shivers the response is to increase the internal temperature. Therefore, you want to cool your toddler down slowly. You can start by simply placing cool rags on your child’s forehead, which will help to whisk away some of the heat. If this doesn’t work, try giving your toddler a warm bath, again you will want to make sure that it is not too cool.

If your child would like, try giving them a Popsicle. These are consumed slowly enough that it won’t induce chills but will help to bring down the core temperature of the body. When you pair this with the medication that you have given, you will likely find that the body temperature drops back down to a more normal level. If you don’t see any improvement or very little improvement over the course of an hour and the temperature is still more than 103 you will want to give your doctor a call. Your child may have a condition that needs to be treated with antibiotics.

Many toddlers fear what they don’t know. For some children animals are as exciting and interesting and beloved to them as anyone in their family, but for other children animals are downright frightening. If your toddler has a fear of animals you can help them overcome this fear so that they don’t have to spend the rest of their life living in fear of living things that could bring them a lot of joy.

Overcoming the Fear of Animals

Many parents who have a toddler who is afraid of animals just don’t understand the fear that their child is experiencing, and so they are likely to dismiss it or even force their child to be in the presence of animals. The fact of the matter is that this is not the way to go. If your child has a true fear of animals you need to ease them into the process of being with and enjoying the presence of animals. You also need to understand that just because you enjoy being around animals does not mean that your child is going to share that with you.

The first thing you need to do when you have a toddler who is afraid of animals is to read books about animals. Read books that tell the child about animals and choose fictional stories that are positive and show the animals in the best light possible. Even try to choose humorous stories that will get the child laughing and make them see that animals are a source of joy.

From here you may want to purchase or rent movies or television shows that have animals in them. You may find that this is a great way for your child to observe animals without fearing that they will actually come in contact with them. Allow your child to view the animals interacting with one another and with people. If you can, find something that your child can watch that will allow him or her to see the animals interacting with children.

It may be advisable to progress from this stage to observing animals in person. This may be sitting back at a park and seeing other people interact with their animals. From here you may find that your child will be comfortable going into pet stores to visit animals and in time they may even enjoy being around animals. You may need to accept that your child will never be fully comfortable around animals and it may be a lifelong process to feel comfortable around animals. Just make sure that you move slowly and you never force your child to be in the presence of animals if they are afraid.

Teaching your toddler to read can be a lot of fun and very rewarding not only for your child, but for you as well! When you see your child begin to read you will fill with pride and joy. Reading is something that is important to being successful in life, without having a firm foundation in reading you cannot succeed at much in this life. It’s never too early to begin teaching your child to read!

Reading Begins Now

You can start teaching your child to read by reading to them. From the time they are little, read to your child every day. Make reading a part of your daily routine. Your child may enjoy being read to at naptime or before bed. Reading may start as memorization of stories that you read, and while this is not truly reading, it is the beginning of the process. When your child is able to flip through the pages and look at the words as they say them, this is memorization, but it is also the understanding that when you put letters together they form words and words have meaning. This is something that a lot of children struggle with, so when your child gets this concept they will have a leg up on others.

Another thing that you can do to help your child begin reading is to encourage them to look at the road signs as you go about your daily lives. You may groan when they see the McDonald’s sign or the ice cream shop, but this is all a part of reading, as well. Being able to recognize the signs and the words that go along with them is usually an indication that a child has what experts call reading readiness.

You should start out slowly with your toddler and not expect too much. Start out with two to three basic words such as a, the, and we. Write these words on flash cards and show them to your child. Make a game out of it and see if you can’t get them to begin recognizing these words. When they understand these first two to three words, add a couple more words in. When a child knows these common words it will be easy for them to learn to read more difficult words later on.

If your child does not show an interest, don’t worry about it. Focus on the alphabet and the sounds that the letters make. Return to the high frequency words when the child has more interest. Try to make it as fun as possible and slowly start introducing simple books to the child. Reward them for all of their efforts, even if they struggle or become frustrated. Reading is something that should be enjoyed and is a skill that your child will need for their whole life. When you take it slow and make it rewarding, you’ll be fostering a lifelong love of reading which has the ability to make your child a better writer and speaker, as well.

Getting a toddler to take medicine is often very difficult! Many times they fear medications or just don’t want to take it. In typical toddler fashion, if it is something that you want them to do, they won’t do it. Every parent who has tried to get a toddler to take medicine has had it spit all over them or had a child just refuse to swallow. Instead of fighting with your toddler to take his or her medicine, develop a new method of getting the medicine in them! You may find that you’ve been picking the wrong battles all along!

Getting Medicine in Your Toddler

If your toddler does not like the way medicine tastes or has had a bad experience with awful tasting medicine it can be difficult to get their medicine in them. It is frustrating as a parent because you know that it will make them feel better, but your child doesn’t appreciate this type of reasoning. All your toddler knows is that you want them to swallow something that they don’t like!

Instead of fighting with a spoon, try a dropper. Placing a dropper toward the back of the cheek is often a great way to get the medicine into your child. While they may protest, when the back of the cheek and throat is filled with liquid it is instinct to swallow and before they can spit it out, it will go down. Of course, you will want to make sure that the toddler is sitting up so that they don’t choke. When you do this you run the risk of your toddler becoming angry with you, but remember that you are administering medication for their own good and that it is your job to make sure that they get it into their system.

Another great way to get your toddler to take medicine is by putting their medicine in their juice. Juices such as grape juice or cranberry juice are often sweet enough and flavorful enough that they will mask the taste of the medication so that you can get it into them! Make sure that you use as little juice as possible so that your child doesn’t simply leave the juice sitting out without getting the medicine.

Yet another option with toddlers is getting them chewable medications instead of liquids. It is often the consistency and not the flavor of the medications that children don’t like. When you offer the chewable varieties the child may be much more open to the idea of taking medication and may even look forward to it, because this is how big kids take their medications. It’s worth a try and in many cases it will work!

If you are ready for your toddler to talk already there are several things you can do to promote speech in your toddler. The two most important things you need to do in order to encourage speech in your little one is to expose them to wide vocabulary and to always congratulate them. You may find it difficult to converse with your toddler, especially if they aren’t responding, but get over it. The more you talk with your little one the faster they will be talking back to you!

Talk

The first thing you can do to encourage speech in a toddler is to talk. You should turn yourself into a parrot and talk about everything. Tell your toddler what you are doing when you are bathing, dressing, or doing anything else for them. Explain what you are doing as well as what items are called. You will be giving your toddler the names to many items they want to be able to speak about.

Add Words

If your toddler already has a basic vocabulary you can help extend it by adding just one word. For example, if your toddler is holding a ball you could say big ball, small ball, blue ball, etc. Use adjectives to help your toddler describe their ball.

Songs

Singing songs is another popular way to help your child become vocal. When kids hear music they are able to learn the words much faster than they would be able to without music. Songs usually rhyme or are silly, which makes them easier to remember.

Be Patient

You may know your toddler wants more food or drink, or a certain toy, but if you do not respond until he uses the right word then you will be instilling in him a sense of responsibility and helping them learn more words.

Practice

Toddlers need to practice their words significantly in order to be able to say them correctly. Have your child practice their words as frequently as possible. They will learn quickly and have a lot of fun, too.

Remember, though, that before you begin focusing on speech language that your little one will more than likely begin talking non-stop when they have enough words. This too can be a trying stage, so try and enjoy every step of the way.