My daughter is at the age where she desires independence, and yet is unable to grasp what that entails. She clings to me when hungry and then pushes me away as soon as I’m no longer needed. She is expressive and has a way of getting all eyes on her.
Toddlerhood is in full force over here, and some days I’m barely hanging on by a thread.
I wish I could tell you that you won’t get gray hair with a toddler, but I do not want to be called a liar. However, I can share three tips – or hacks if you choose to call them that – that have made a world of difference in surviving this stage and how my husband and I have grown to love it.
Embrace the mess.
This has been the hardest for me to do and that is why I am putting it first. As someone who loves control, living in a state of organized chaos has taken some getting used to, and guess what? We are all surviving. The days may be long sometimes, but time is simultaneously flying by. If living in a house where the vacuuming doesn’t get done for one more day is the biggest concern right now, then I think we are doing just fine.
Instead of dwelling on the food your child was fed today, focus on the fact that your child was fed today.
My daughter will love bananas on a Monday, throw them Tuesday, and then reach for the bowl on Wednesday. She eats processed and non-processed food. At the end of the day, she is taken care of, secure, and content. My husband and I cannot ask for much more than that.
Let them be independent.
Ana is 21-months-old and knows to pick out her socks before daycare, put her shoes away at the end of the day, and how to roll her nightly oils on her feet. She wants to learn and smiles when we respond with praise. She thrives on helping and we, as her parents, are enjoying teaching her.
You got this, mama. Raise them up and raise them well. Treasure toddlerhood and all it entails because it truly is a crazy, wonderful adventure.
