Raising a Toddler

No one ever warns you when you are having a baby about what happens when your child becomes a toddler. Nothing really prepares you for raising a toddler. You make it through the baby stage, finally feeling confident in your parenting, then your baby becomes this toddler. Telling you no, asking you why, throwing these tantrums that you've only seen in the movies. You don't know how to react, you're afraid that if you look at them the wrong way, they may snap at you. You go through moments thinking they are crazy, or you are crazy, or you are both crazy. They can be the funnest, sweetest little child, then at the drop of a hat- tantrum.

Remember before you had a baby, you would see those kids in the store screaming, and you said your child would NEVER act like that? Well unless you never want to go out in public when your child is a toddler, your child WILL act like that. You never know when a tantrum is going to rear it's ugly head either. You almost think sometimes your child is bipolar, because they could be skipping and singing down an aisle 1 minutes, and the next minute they are ripping things down off a shelf. At that point you must act quick, you must know how to divert the situation, do you show him a toy to distract him? Do you abandon the cart, and beeline towards the door? Do you ignore it, and walk away saying, "Where is that kids parents"? It's tough, and you will never know how you are going to react until you are in that situation- and every tantrum is different, so once you think you have figured out how to handle it, they will throw something new at you. You now look at those women and kids in the store, not judging them, but sympathizing with them.

Remember before you had a baby, you always saw those kids eating fast food or junk food, and you always said "My child WON'T eat that"- yea ok. I consider it a good day when he eats at least one decent meal. Some days he survives on only a handful of goldfish. I don't stress over what he eats or doesn't eat, I have learned that if he is hungry, he will tell me, and I can't force him to eat if he isn't hungry.

It's crazy this parenting thing, and you never know what tomorrow is going to bring- hopefully a happy toddler that isn't throwing toys at you when you tell him no... #raisingatoddler #pleasedontembarrassmommyintarget #whereisthatkidsparents