Toddlers: Wellbeing
I'm worried my toddler isn't eating enough, what should I do?
Parents have to remember that toddlers are growing much more slowly than babies, so they actually don't need as much food. They're also much more interested in everything that's going on around them. They're busy learning how to walk and to play, and they really just haven't got time a lot of the time to sit down and eat. It's important to think too about portion sizes for toddlers. They have very small appetites, and if you give them an overwhelming amount, they'll just decide they can't manage it. But the best approach for parents is to be laid back, to let your toddlers appetite rule how much they have. If you get into battles over food, it can set up problems that can last for very many years.
My toddler's behaviour is impulsive and aggressive, is that normal?
All toddlers to some extent will show aggressive and impulsive behaviour. It's part of being a normal toddler, because it takes them a long time to understand that other people have needs. They just see themselves as the center of the universe and the most important person. It takes years to learn that they should share and be kind to other people, so while they're learning that, of course they push other children over, they kick children, and they snatch things from them. But from their point of view developmentally, that is still normal behaviour. Of course, parents should gradually be trying to teach about the fact that you have to be kind to others, you don't hurt other people, why all that's important. But you have to be realistic. It's really about 3-plus before those messages start to sink in.
What is a 'night terror'?
Night terrors are different from nightmares which people understand. The child is still very fast asleep, but looks as if they are alert, staring into space. They're crying, screaming , really looking absolutely terrified and you know it can be very scary for parents, but they don't come to any harm. They're not harmful to children in any way and mostly they do just grow out of them.
What should I do if my child is having a 'night terror'?
Countering Child's Night Terror. When your child is experiencing night terror's, the thing that parents shouldn't do is wake him up and let him settle down. The child, by himself, will come out of it once he grows up.
My toddler's behaviour seems obsessive, should I be worried?
Many of the behaviors that the toddlers display will be very worrying if they were adults, and lots of toddlers look a little bit obsessive in their behaviour. They may demand to have their food on an exact plate, or they will only drink from the particular Winnie The Poo cup or whatever it is, or they must have blue socks. It's about control, for toddlers it's try and control their world so that they feel more secure. Those behaviours are actually quite normal at that stage of the development.
