Toddlers

Nail Clipping

skatieyonts — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:54:31 GMT

My daughter who will be 16 months in a week, screams and fights me like I am killing her when I have to cut her nails (both finger and toes). Is there any advice out there to make this necessity less of a traumatic experience for the both of us?

I have tried to make it fun by saying lets paint your nails after they are cut or offering a treat but that doesn't work. She runs away from me the second she can escape.

Help! My Son Feels Left Out

MommyRN4 — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:41:42 GMT

My 4 year old constantly wants to do what his big brother and big sister are doing. Trouble is, he is much younger than them and can’t always tag along or do the things that they are doing. How do I prevent him from getting his feelings hurt all the time because he feels constantly “left out”? -- Bonnie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Reading time is fun!

PediNurseJulie1 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:50:08 GMT

My son didn’t always love to sit still and read with me but lately he is really into it! We go to the library and pick out books based on what his interests are. We’ve got a bunch of books about trains right now because he is very into his train sets and Thomas Train. What are some of your favorite books to read to your kids? -Julie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Too young to see stage show?

AnswerDad03 — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:31:55 GMT

My toddler’s grandparents want to take her into New York City to see a children’s show based on a popular television show. While our daughter will have a great time, the total cost of a lavish show and lunch in the big city will be more than $500 for the three of them. They could go somewhere locally for a fraction of the cost and our daughter would have just as good a time. Should I leave this alone and let grandma and grandpa spoil her, or should I explain my logic to them? -- Chris, StrongMoms Facilitator

What is Your Favorite TV Show for Toddlers?

MommyRN4 — Thu, 30 May 2013 01:01:51 GMT

My son is obsessed with Team Umizoomi right now and last month it was Little Einsteins. What TV show is your child's favorite right now? --Bonnie, Strongmoms facilitator

Music

Brinny — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:35:16 GMT

As the nice weather has finally arrived I have been out and about with my daughter more and more. Her stroller has the capability of playing music through an ipod or mp3 player, but i need music to put on one. Does anyone know of some good baby/ toddler cds that i could look into? Right now i only have

"Sleep Tight, Baby" not sure who it is by

and

Laugh and learn sing along favorites that came with her fisher-price talking dog

I have found "Stomp Yer Feet!" By Johnny Bregar which i am really interested in buying.

Does anyone know of any more Albums that are good and mommy friendly (not annoying) as well as toddler friendly.

Toddler Won't Eat and then Holds Out for Snacks!

MommyRN4 — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:47:20 GMT

My son won't eat much at breakfast, lunch, or dinner and then suspiciously is available during snack time. I am trying not to give in to my rule of "no lunch--no snacks", but it is getting hard. How do you manage to get your toddler to understand that they need to eat healthy food---not just snacks? - Bonnie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Hitting

AnswerDad03 — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:59:58 GMT

My two year old has begun hitting anyone and everyone who gets in her way. She bites her lip in frustration and then tries to pound her obstacle into submission! How do you make a toddler understand that hitting anyone is not OK? -- Chris, StrongMoms Facilitator

Its another girl!

skatieyonts — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:20:13 GMT

Just wanted to let everyone know: We found out the gender of our 2nd child due 1st week of Oct: its a little girl. Our daughter Melody will have a baby sister!
When we told her she threw a tantrum and said no girl, baby bubba! Are there any tips on trying to get her to come around to the idea of a baby sister, shes 14.5 months old.

Dream Toddler Foods

writemommy10 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:45:54 GMT

Pretend you have the ear of every mass market food manufacturer in the country. What would you love for them to make specific to toddlers? Maybe oatmeal and yogurt meals for a quick and easy breakfast? How about cereal bars that are not coated in sugar? These are just a few of my ideas. What are yours?

Preschool

AnswerDad03 — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:27:24 GMT

Like many families, childcare is very costly for us even though we have a family member help watch our youngest. We send our middle child to preschool at age three, and the school is fine but I am not sure it is worth the nearly $1,000 per month we spend. Now that she is going, we are worried that pulling her until she is ready for kindergarten may be a difficult thing for her. I would love some sound advice on this issue. --Chris, StrongMoms Facilitator

Getting a "Handle" on Tantrums

Brinny — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:58:01 GMT

Now that my little Hazel monster has entered the toddler years she has become a real monster on occasion with throwing tantrums. She will throw her whole body on the floor and WHALE and occasionally smack her head against the wall or whatever surface she can find. The other day she even threw her sippy cup because she didn't want to be put in her car seat... and there have been a few occasions where we are at a store or on our concrete patio where she will try to do this and i will have to try to catch her before she slams the back of her head down on the hard floor / ground. For us they usually start because she isn't getting what she wants (Which i'm sure is usually the case with most toddlers). My approach as of now is to walk away and not pay attention to it and she seems to stop and move on. This is my first child so i was wondering if some of you more experienced parents out there have a better approach to minimizing tantrums and their duration. Especially while out in public. I can just walk to another room at home, but i can't very well just leave her alone in a store and walk to another aisle.

Sleep Ideas

skatieyonts — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:02:44 GMT

My little girl-Melody is 13.5 months. She has never slept through the night. I know we created a bad habit with middle of the night feedings but she is a special case when it comes to eating due to medical issues (GERD, food allergies, sinus issues, ENT issues, failure to thrive). I have gotten the go ahead from her doctors and specialists to go ahead and start to wean the middle of the night feedings as she is no longer classified as a failure to thrive and medication seems to be helping her conditions. Wahoo!

Anyway the last 3 months she awakes between 1-4 AM and will not go back to sleep unless she has a middle of the night play session ranging in time from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

I have taken her to the doctors multiple times and all I ever get: "some babies don't sleep through the night until they are 2 years old. Its perfectly normal... blah blah"

I have tried everything I can think of including warm formula, humidifier, white noise, rocking her, rubbing her back, giving her a paci, re-doing her bed time routine, wearing her out til she passes out. I have even let her try to cry it out but she just screams for over two hours with no stopping until she gets her play session.

She started daycare when she turned a year, so about 6 weeks ago. Daycare does a nap/quiet time from 11-2. My daughter usually naps 30 minutes in the time frame of 1130-130, and its her only nap of the day. She goes to sleep between 730-830 - just usually passes out after bathtime.

Any suggestions or advice on how to help her sleep through the night or to help wean the middle of the night feedings. I am hitting my wits end, I work full time 12 hours shifts (MWF) and every other Saturday and can't take much more of this, I am physically exhausted and 4 months pregnant.

Rewards

AnswerDad03 — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:50:48 GMT

Friends I know rewarded their toddler for going to the potty with one green M&M every time she went. Another friend gave a different color crayon every time his son slept through the night in his own bed. What is the most unique “reward” you’ve given your toddler to reinforce a specific behavior?--Chris, Strongmoms facilitator

Is preschool necessary?

PediNurseJulie1 — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:38:50 GMT

I’m struggling with whether or not to put my 3 year old into preschool. We do lots of outings here at home, read books, and are always learning new things. He sees other little kids at church and soccer and his mid-week playgroup that he goes to. Is preschool really necessary for him to succeed in school? - Julie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Energy Burners

PediNurseJulie1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:01:43 GMT

What are your favorite activities to do with your toddler to burn off some energy? My 3 year old just started soccer and it’s been so much fun for him! I thought maybe he’d be a little too young for it but he is loving it. What are your favorite toddler activities? -- Julie, StrongMoms Facilitator

TV schedules and toddlers—what is yours like?

MommyRN4 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:28:19 GMT

I try to limit my children's TV time, but the winter months make it difficult, as do rainy days. How do you limit the TV time in your house and what is your TV schedule like? Do you have a TV schedule? - Bonnie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Potty Training Regression—What to do?

MommyRN4 — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:02:07 GMT

My three year old is potty trained, but lately he has started regressing and having accidents. I don't know why he is regressing, but he seems to be fine physically. Is there something I can do to help him get over this glitch and stay potty trained? --Bonnie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Potty training troubles—Need advice!

MommyRN4 — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:06:23 GMT

I am in the process of potty training my 3 year old boy who exhibits all the signs of being ready to potty train. As long as he is naked, he does a great job of potty training; however, the second I put any type of underwear on him, he has accidents. How can I help him get over this "glitch"—he can't run around naked forever!!! --Bonnie, Strongmoms facilitator

Posing For Photos

AnswerDad03 — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:52:13 GMT

If you are like me, every occasion is a great occasion for taking photos. The electronic age has made photographers out of most every parent I know. In recent months, our oldest daughter won’t sit for a nice photo without making silly faces or looking away at the last minute. A few dozen of these photos are fine, but this is happening for just about every picture and it is really frustrating! Am I overreacting? --Chris, Strongmoms facilitator

Climbing out of the crib

Brinny — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:42:10 GMT

Last night my daughter (almost 13 months) was throwing her usual tantrum at bed time so as always i left her in her crib to cry a few minutes so she can put things in "perspective".... anyhow i was out of her room for maybe 4 minutes before going back in. when i entered her room she was straddling the front rail of her crib trying to climb out.. all she had to do is shift her weight and she would have fallen. How old were your children when they started to climb out of their cribs and how did you keep them from doing it? I will definitely be moving her bed to the lowest position which is only 2 inches lower than it is now, but i don't think that is going to stop her.

Little boy so overly emotional

MommyRN4 — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:52:23 GMT

My 4-year-old is very emotional and constantly tells my husband and me that we have "ruined his life"—just because we corrected him. How do I get him to realize that we love him, but need to correct him when he makes mistakes or doesn't listen. He takes everything so personally! --Bonnie, Strongmoms facilita

Getting Rid of the Pacifier Once and For All—Help!

MommyRN4 — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:39:38 GMT

It is time to get rid of my son’s pacifier, but I don’t know how. None of my other kids hung on to their pacifier this long and he is really attached to it. I dread bedtime and naptime without it! Help! How do I get rid of his pacifier without traumatizing him or me? – Bonnie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Planning a 2 year old birthday party

MommyRN4 — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:00:38 GMT

At 2 years old, I think that they are too little to have big parties at Chuck E Cheese and such, so we usually opt for a family party at home. What are some fun 2 year old birthday themes? I am starting to run out of unique ideas! -- Bonnie, StrongMoms Facilitator

Arts and crafts without the mess? Someone help!

MommyRN4 — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:23:01 GMT

I want my children to be artistic and enjoy arts and crafts, but most of the time I cringe when they want to do a project because of the mess it leaves behind. How do you encourage your child’s artistic side without spending an hour cleaning up afterwards? Are arts and crafts without the mess possible? -- Bonnie, Strongmoms Facilitator