There comes a point in every parent's life when your baby moves from being a baby to being a toddler. Most people agree that this happens at the age of 1, with your child being a toddler until they're around 3 years old. So, when your child starts approaching their first birthday, you need to start preparing for the transition to toddlerhood. It is one of the biggest changes you'll see in your child for some time, so it's a lot to deal with.
With the advice and tips below, you'll find it a lot easier to handle this transition and minimize any stressful problems that might come your way!
Plan in advance
A big difference between a toddler and a baby is that toddlers have slightly more independence. They can walk around and be a bit more stubborn, compared to a baby that just kind of lies there and crawls. Leaving the house is harder with a toddler as you need to get them to cooperate. As such, you should plan in advance and get ready 10 or so minutes before you actually need to leave. It gives extra time to deal with your toddler, ensuring you aren't late for everything.
Make their room more suitable
You want to avoid babying a toddler for too long as it can hamper their development. Also, you need to ensure your toddler is comfortable and has a place where they can grow into a young child. Therefore, you need to make their room less suitable for a baby and more akin to a toddler's tastes. This begins with the bed; it's time to transition from a crib to an actual bed for toddlers. According to one guide to buying a kids bed, you can actually buy toddlers beds that bridge the gap between a crip and a real bed. Something like this would be perfect to make them feel less like a baby while keeping them safe.
Don't babyproof too much
Babyproofing is essential when you have a small baby crawling around all curious. As your baby becomes a toddler, you want to slowly pull back on the babyproofing in your home. Keep some things in place, but recognise that you're better off teaching your child not to do certain things. By the time they finish toddlerhood, they should already have specific rules and behaviours ingrained in their minds. If you overly babyproof, you run the risk of not teaching them anything.
Take tantrums less seriously
When a baby cries, it's their way of alerting you to problems. When a toddler cries, it's almost always a way of getting attention. Toddler tantrums are super common, and the best thing you can do is ignore them. Yes, this is easier said than done, but you can't get into the habit of bending to your toddler's will. Otherwise, whenever they want something, they can just cry and know that you will be there for them.
Transitioning from baby to toddler is a much bigger step than it seems. Your life will get very different, but these tips will make it easier for you to handle the changes.
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