• Set up playdates with a friend who has a toddler the same age as
yours.
• Get to know your neighbors.
• Enroll your child
in nursery school or preschool, a Mother’s Day
Out program, or Mommy and Me–type playgroups. (Age two is
not too young.)
• Join a gym or activity group targeted to parents and toddlers.
• Join a playgroup or babysitting co-op. (Check your
pediatrician’s bulletin board or a community newspaper or Web
site.)
• Look for online communities for moms of toddlers.
• Invite an older neighbor to visit with your child.
• Join a place of worship.
• Move nearer to your family or move them nearer to you.
Parent Struggle #2: Daily Battles Can Make Us Feel
Like
Failures
“Perfection is only found in the dictionary.”
—Old saying
Lynne was in tears. That morning her 20-month-old, Josh,
sank his teeth into a child at playgroup. It was the third
time this week he had bitten someone, and this time he did
it so hard the teacher asked Lynne not to bring Josh back.
She sobbed, “What am I doing wrong?”
We proudly take credit when our kids behave well, so it is only natural
for us to feel responsible when they misbehave. But before you rush to
judge yourself, remember that toddler limit-pushing is totally normal.
Whether you’re
a CEO or a four-star general, your toddler is going to
break the rules.
We all mess up sometimes, but failing every now and then doesn’t
make us failures; it’s a normal part of parenting
and can actually speed
us along the path to success. So relax and learn to look at your mistakes
with a sense of humor. Believe it or not, these toddler years will be gone
in a flash, and one day you’ll miss them terribly.
Take a big breath, and
know that your love, respect, and guidance will help you finish these
years with a happy,
confident, likable child at your side!
Here’s one more bit of consolation for you: Toddlers save their biggest
meltdowns for their parents. We’re the people with whom they feel the
safest. So you might consider your primitive little friend’s tantrums a
form of flattery.
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