Do you have a good parenting tip for toddler?
Today I was reading an interesting article in USA Today. Apparently parents today are having a harder time keeping their squirmy, energetic little tots safe than parents of eras past.
Why? Because the world is filled with so many more dangereous things than ever before. The article went back to our hunter/gatherer roots and explained plausible reasons why children do the things they do.
Moms would carry their babies and toddlers in slings and nurse them on demand. This would serve to calm the children down a bit. When the kids were put down on the ground they would crawl around and chew on roots and sticks. Yuck, right? But apparently the soil has some nutrients that were of benefit to small children. And the dirt may actually have increased their immunities. Children may even have a “sweet tooth” so that they would find nutrition rich breast milk palatable and stay away from bitter poinsonous plants. At that time, these inherent toddler behaviors served them well.
But in today’s society that is filled with small toys, dangerous houshold chemicals, huge automobiles and other hazards how does a parent keep a curious preschooler safe?
I am sure that every mom and dad have their special tricks. For me, I know that these work
- patience is key
- keeping the house organized (not an easy task, I know)
- regular naptimes and bedtimes
- and nutritious meals.
But my number one parenting tip for toddler safety is careful supervision. Yes, good parenting skills include growing eyes in the back of your head. It seems obvious that watching a child will keep him safe – but there are other benefits as well. I have found that all of the attention tends to calm a toddler down and helps him to behave better – which truly is every parents goal.
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