Understand and Parent Your Toddler

Toddler Toddler Understand and Parent Your Almost-Toddler Understand and Parent Your Toddler

Understand and Parent Your Toddler Your toddler wants to be her own person and is learning that she is separate from you. To find out she is separate, she says “no!” a lot and may throw temper tantrums when things don’t go her way. Even though she is no longer your cuddly, dependent baby, she needs you. She needs to find out you still love her, even when she is being independent and defiant. It’s not easy living with a toddler, but it isn’t easy being one, either. Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding The parent is responsible for the what, when and where of feeding. The child is responsible for how much and whether of eating. Your Child’s Growth and Development Your toddler says “no!” a lot She is learning that she is a separate person from you. She wants to do things herself. She is learning to distinguish sensations (hunger, thirst, hot, cold, etc) from feelings (happiness, sadness, anger, etc.) How to Parent Your Toddler Your toddler needs structure and limits. Teach her she is part of the family. Sort out whether she is hungry or sad, full or tired. Don’t use food to address feelings. How to Parent Your Toddler with Respect to Feeding With feeding as with everything else, your toddler needs structure and limits. Have 3 meals a day at set times. Give sit-down snacks at set times. Do not short-order cook. Have family meals. Sit with her and eat your own food. Talk and Listen. Be good company. Say no when she begs for food or drinks between eating times, except for water. Dish out 1 or 2 tablespoons of each food. Let her have more of any food if she wants. Let her serve herself and eat her way—fast or slow, much or little, 1 or 2 foods. Turn off the TV so you can enjoy being together For a comprehensive set of educational materials that teach stage-related feeding and solve feeding problems, see ELLYN SATTER'S FEEDING IN PRIMARY CARE PREGNANCY THROUGH PRESCHOOL: Easy-to-Read Reproducible Masters (4th grade reading level, English and Spanish) and ELLYN SATTER'S NUTRITION AND FEEDING FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN: Handout Masters (7th grade reading level, English only). Copyright © 2005 by Ellyn Satter. For more about feeding your toddler, see Ellyn Satter’s Child of Mine; Feeding With Love and Good Sense or www.EllynSatter.com For permission to reproduce this handout, call (800)808-7976 or e-mail info@ellynsatter.com

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Ellyn Satter Associates
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