Welcome back to Toddlerland where you and your family have likely shifted into a summer routine and may have already taken a family vacation. While I emphasize the importance for families to spend time together away from work, school and the daily grind, family vacations can be a mixed blessing.
If you’re approaching your summer vacation with caution or even trepidation, I understand. I’ve been there. My husband and I have traveled extensively with our three children– east coast, west coast, the Midwest and to Europe. I recall (not-so-fondly) hours of children’s screams down the highway and near wrestling matches within the airplane aisles.
WHAT’S GOING ON? Toddlers live in the here and now. They don’t wait well. They don’t understand or appreciate the concepts of soon and later, as in, “Soon we will be getting on a plane,” or “Later this month, we’ll go to the beach/lake/amusement park.” They only understand now. So again, taking a toddler POV is the key to getting from here to there with as little fuss as possible. [Read more…]
We’ve all been there. The dreaded meltdown of our overtired or hungry little one. I recall a public tantrum on the promenade by the beach in LA with my then-toddler. All eyes on me. It was not fun! But as the adult, we have to keep it cool and that can be a challenge. In this piece for Motherly, I give tips for creating mantras and other advice for keeping yourself centered and calm during your toddler’s mighty tantrum. 
It is a top challenge for parents to get your child out the door. This is an activity that many of you argue, and I agree, should be much simpler and yet it tends to be one of the most frustrating moments of the day, with morning tussles often being the hardest. I recently received this note from the parents of a spirited four-year-old. Does this situation sound familiar to you?
