Toddler

  • Gift Guide, Motherhood, Toddler

    Best Gifts for Toddlers

    This post contains affiliate links.

    It blows my mind that my last child, my baby is TWO. She’s in full toddler mode, excited to learn, and happy to play. There are so many fantastic toys that I want to buy her all the things, but of course, I know that less is more, and I want to be really intentional about what I bring into our home, so we don’t have clutter or unused toys. So here is my list of the best toys for toddlers.

    An Easel

    gifts for toddlers

    Melissa & Doug Deluxe Double-Sided Tabletop Easel

    I love this easel for toddlers because they could use it anywhere. We had the Ikea easel for years, and it’s excellent. Still, it recently broke after three kids, and I ordered this Melissa & Doug tabletop easel as a replacement mainly because of its flexibility. My toddler follows me around so she can use it while I worked, shower, clean, cook, work. She’s loves doodling, so it’s going to be perfect. It’s also easy to store and not as bulky as some easels.

    Elephant Plush Nursery Rocker

    gifts for toddlers

    My daughter loves her Potterybarn plush rocker elephant. This is a classic, and she’s had it for a year, we got it for her first birthday last year, and it took her about a month or two to start playing with it but she loves it now. She sometimes calls it a horsey when she’s riding it, which is hilarious. These Pottery Barn Kids rockers do come with different animals so you can choose your favorite. You can also get it personalized with your child’s name or your family name if you plan to extend your family and want to pass it along. It’s a beautiful gift, beautiful decor for your nursery and here’s a secret, buying in-store on the right day is all it takes to get it at a discounted price. I can’t recall how much we paid for ours, but we didn’t pay full price. We went to the store on a day there was a sale. If we love the store on the Upper East Side, I bought my oldest a Goetz doll at almost 70% off at that location.

    VTech Mix and Match-a-Saurus

    toddler gift guide

    I always buy at least one educational toy for my kids for the holidays, and VTech toys still have fantastic options for toddlers. This year, we love both the Mix and Match-a-Saurus and VTech Treasure Seekers Pirate Ship. The Mix and Match-a-Saurus help kids to learn to sort, practice counting, and abc’s as well as learn about different emotions. The dinosaur can also move, but it took my toddler some time to warm up to the movement. We have the green, but it also comes in pink and purple. 

    VTech Treasure Seekers Pirate Ship

    toddler gift guide

    Playing with the VTech Treasure Seekers Pirate Ship gives little ones the chance to develop their fine motor skills and imagination. The ship can open into an island providing multiple options to play and explore. I love that other VTech toy characters can fit this toy, and it comes with a black character name Monty because representation matters. 

    Leapfrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book

    At the toddler, stage kids are still developing their language skills, and this book helps them visually identify different things and learn how to pronounce the words correctly.

    LEGO Duplo Set

    LEGO Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Birthday Parade

    This is the perfect gift for a toddler, their first LEGO set. I’ve loved Duplo with all of my kids; it’s super easy to build for toddlers and a great intro to legos.

    Baby Shark Dancing Doll

    Baby Shark isn’t going anywhere for a long time and all toddlers love the song and dance so the Baby Shark Dancing Doll will definitely be a hit.

    Pretend Play Costume Sets

    best toys for toddlers

    Pretend play is one of the ways that toddlers learn and explore; my kids have all loved dressing up as their favorite characters/professions when they were toddlers. I love the Disney Princess Dress Up Trunk, Born Toys Trunk Set and Jeowoqao Dress up Trunk Role Play Set for pretend play. My favorite is the . because of the astronaut suit

    toddler gift guide

    Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet

    Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet

    I have shared my love for the Amazon Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet many times on this blog (just do a search for it). It’s the best tablet for kids of all ages but especially toddlers. The case and warranty are toddler-friendly, with two years of the no-questions-asked returned policy. There are lots of games, shows, and books on this tablet for toddlers to enjoy, and I love the redesign of the case.

    I hope this is helpful; let me know what gifts you’re planning to get your toddler.

  • Baby, Motherhood, Toddler

    Tips for Parenting Toddlers

    Tips for Parenting Toddlers!

    I can’t believe how fast time flies but I have an almost 2-year-old on my hands again! At 22 months, my third child and second daughter have started to exhibit some Terrific Two’s behavior. I get it, it’s a tough time developmentally for children. Their ability to communicate is limited and it’s difficult to express all of their emotions. Since she’s my third child, I’m a bit more experienced and have some tips for parenting toddlers to encourage her.

    Tips for Parenting Toddlers

    Make your toddler feel safe.

    We all need to feel safe and capable of trusting the people who are closest to us and this is particularly important for toddlers because they’re unable to communicate if they feel unsafe. I’m no expert or psychologist but when my older children were toddlers I saw them behave out of character whenever they felt unsafe. Once I noticed this I tried to strengthen their trust in me by:

    • Always saying goodbye to them when I had to leave even if seeing me leave made them feel sad,
    • Telling them what was going even if I think they didn’t understand (most times they did).
    • Asking them what they wanted and giving them options when they didn’t have the language to answer.

    Keep them on a routine.

    I’m not much of a routine person, I love to just do things when I feel like it but I’ve come to terms over the years that toddlers especially do much better when they’re on a routine. Not only are they happier, but I also find that they learn more and have fewer tantrums. Since the older kids went back to school a few weeks ago, my toddler is on a new routine and she’s been doing well.

    Ensure they’re getting enough sleep.

    Honestly, every mom on this planet knows that this is the top way to encourage good toddler behavior. Rest is important for all of us but toddlers and babies need more sleep than we do for their development. According to the Cleveland Clinic, toddlers need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep each day.

    Focus on learning through play.

    When my toddler is engaged and learning through play she’s on her very best behavior. She loves doing puzzles, playing with her sticker books, painting and exploring the outdoors. I love living in the city as I’m able to teach her about everything we see from boats and seaplanes on the East River to fire trucks in the street and bees in the park. She’s loves learning and showing me that she knows what they are by pointing them out.

    Healthy diet.

    This is a big one because we sometimes overlook the effects of diet on children. I’m far from a perfect mom but I try my very best on most days to feed my kids healthy home-cooked meals and keep treats at minimum. Of course, my toddler like most kids her age can be choosy on some days so I try to keep options available that she can eat.

    What are your tips for parenting toddlers?

    You may also like:

    3 Must- Have Parenting Books to Read

    https://adannadill.com/3-must-have-parenting-books-to-get/
  • Lifestyle, Motherhood, New Mom, Sponsored, Toddler

    A Healthy Way to Deal with Diarrhea in Children

    This post is brought to you by DiaResQ® and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

    Nothing makes me want to run for the hills and hide like one of my kids calling out from the bathroom to alert me that they have diarrhea. Actually, the average American child experiences 7-15 episodes of diarrhea by age five. Urgh! A sick child ranks really high on the “How hard is the parenting?” spectrum. That’s motherhood for you — caring for a sick child is hard not just physically but emotionally, it’s stressful to watch and care for your child who is ill especially diarrhea. In my eight years of mothering three kids, I’ve learned a great deal of what works and what doesn’t work. Here’s how I deal with diarrhea in children:

    Assure my kids that they will be fine.

    My kids always panic when they have diarrhea, the accompanying stomach and frequent bathroom trips scare them, and I find myself having to calm them down from hysteria and letting them know that they will be fine.

    Switch them to the BRAT Diet.

    When my daughter was a toddler and had her first bout of diarrhea, her pediatrician told me to put her on the BRAT diet, and I had no idea what she was referring to. She laughed reminding herself that I was a first-time mom and broke down that I should be feeding her mild foods like bananas, rice, and toast until diarrhea stop (my older daughter never wanted the rice).

    Try DiaResQ®!

    Healthy Way to Deal with Diarrhea

    Note I didn’t say medication, I treat their diarrhea with DiaResQ as an alternative to drugs because it’s both drug & antibiotic free, it’s simply a food made from safe, naturally-derived ingredients. Recently, I used DiaResQ® when my son came home and went straight to the bathroom complaining of diarrhea. DiaResQ® isn’t medication which he probably would have given me a hard time to take. All I did was mix the vanilla flavored powder with water, shook it and he drank it all up.  I was happy that he got some relief within a relatively short time and was back to playing with his toys instead of doubled over in agony. DiaResQ® restores intestinal function with vitamin B2 and proteins along with other nutrients.

    Healthy Way to Deal with Diarrhea

    According to the brand “Diarrhea is the body’s natural immune response to try and remove an invading microorganism, and some other products work by slowing that response (and trapping that organism in your body). DiaResQ is different – it works with your body to address the underlying issue fast. With DiaResQ on-hand, you can safely address diarrhea head on – so you can keep your children happy and healthy and your busy life on track!”

     

    Healthy Way to Deal with Diarrhea

    DiaResQ worked so quickly that we didn’t even need the BRAT diet this time around. I’m keeping my home stocked with DiaResQ for the holiday season, and if you’re traveling, you should too since diarrhea can affect 70% of travelers. DiaResQ isn’t just for kids; if you get sick, you can use it too. You can purchase DiaResQ at CVS and Amazon.

    a healthy way to deal with diarrhea in children

    Visit  diaresq.com/momapproved website to learn more and keep your child happy and healthy!

    Ps: DiaResQ is not intended for the relief of chronic diarrhea, nor for infants (children aged 12 months or less).