Terrible twos? Terrifying threes? The ages 12 to 36 months can make our tiny tots seem like little monsters. But did you know that you can raise your tiny terrors into kinder, gentler human beings? Read on to get some practical tips from the Kinacle team.

With minds like sponges and little hands always ready to discover and play – the day-to-day demands of raising toddlers can be exhausting. But, as parents, we all want what is best for our children; not just for them to be active and healthy but also for them to grow up into nice kids and, eventually, decent adults.

Also, don’t us parents live for compliments about our little ones behaving without us there to see it? It makes us so proud when we here staff at the day care center say “Oh, Lily was such a helpful dear today!” or “Sean helped out his friend at the playground. What a nice boy!”. Hearing these kind words makes us just beam with joy. In a way, it helps validate our efforts in doing our very best to teach our young ones to be well behaved.

On the other hand, seeing our cute 2-year-olds displaying aggressive behavior during a playdate or with other children in the playground makes us question our parenting skills. Parents usually ask themselves – Is this normal? Am I raising a mean kid? Am I even doing parenting right? What should I do?

This article aims to help you out with those questions (and more). More importantly, we want you to know that we see you, mom and dad! We know firsthand how lonely parenting can sometimes feel and even if this is just a blog on our website and we’re on either side of each other’s screens – it’s still comforting to know that someone just gets us.

Raising a toddler is hard enough for any parent, but if you’re dealing with significant personality differences to your own, it can become even more of a challenge. For example, if your toddler is an extrovert but you’re an introvert, it’s going to be a struggle trying to meet their needs while also looking after your own.

If you’ve been blessed with an extrovert child but you’re a self-confessed introvert, below you’ll discover some great tips to help parent them without getting overwhelmed.

Toddlers have many wonderful qualities, but sharing isn’t one of them! They can have a whole basket full of toys, but the minute their siblings or friends pick just one of them to play with, everything can turn destructive very quickly.

The truth is, toddlers just don’t understand the concept of sharing. They do however, fully understand the word “mine!”. It’s only through social and emotional development that the ability to share things with others starts to kick in.

That isn’t to say that you can’t teach your little one how to share however. Here, you’ll discover some of the best ways to teach a toddler that sharing isn’t a bad thing.

Witnessing your toddler becoming increasingly clingy can be a really upsetting experience. At first, it’s quite cute having your little one desperately wanting your attention; especially if this is your first parenting experience. However, when it starts to turn from wanting additional cuddles to clinging onto your legs and screaming for you to stay, it’s heart-breaking to watch.

So, what causes toddlers to become clingy and more pressingly, what can be done about it?

The toddler stage is a whirlwind of milestones and challenges. Your little one is now starting to develop their own unique personality and they often aren’t afraid to show it! It’s a vital time in your child’s life, as it’s where they start to learn more about the world around them and they develop essential skills that will aid in their development.

One of the most influential skills they’re going to develop at this time is how to socialize with others. Not only are they going to test your authoritative boundaries, but they’re also going to start interacting more with their peers.

This isn’t always a straightforward process. Just like adults, some toddlers are much more sociable than others. Not every child is going to develop social skills at the same speed and they may need a little encouragement. If your little one is struggling or you’re concerned about their socializing skills, below you’ll discover some of the best tips that can help.