Toddler Behavior Fix_9-Common Parenting Mistakes To Avoid With Toddlers

We are all humans, and it's totally natural to make mistakes. We undertake several new tasks daily and always have new experiences with the same things. Each experience tells us a lesson. If we learn from our mistakes, then no one can stop us from being professional in that field, no matter what it is.

Likewise, parenting is also a task that requires a lot of effort to be a perfect parent. If you are good at learning from our experiences, you can be an exemplary parent. But here is a problem!

Today's generation is very busy. We must work to sustain life in an era of inflammation. So mothers also have no time to parent and slowly learn from their experiences. We have a solution for you!

Read this guide till the end and learn Parenting mistakes to avoid with toddlers. This blog also helps you build a strong relationship with your child without having long-term experiences.

Let's get in!

Overusing "No" or "Don't"

Why saying "no" too much backfires?

Parents usually make mistakes and constantly say, "No! Don't touch that! Stop!" This frustrates children. When they continuously hear the exact words, they probably lose their worth and the impulse to respond to that particular thing.

"No" doesn't teach a child any positive behaviour; it just stops them from doing the wrong thing. Little kids' minds are hard-wired instead of; if you let them know what they should do, it'll be worthwhile. Like, instead of saying don't jump, ask your kids to move slowly, instead of saying No! Don't throw blocks; ask them: blocks are for building _Let's stack them up.

Children copy their elders, so if they don't do the right thing in front of them, they'll surely copy it. Please don't ask them to stop; walk towards them slowly, picking up that thing from them and keeping it out of their reach for next time. Please don't shout, don't run fast towards them to pick, and don't repeat the same thing over and over.

Parenting is not about controlling. It is about guiding. Guide them to the right thing and say no to a real danger so that it keeps its worth as it is.

Overprotecting Your Child

Some parents overprotect their children and fail to balance keeping them safe and allowing them to live free, independent lives. Overprotecting means holding them back unintentionally, doing everything for them, bubble-wrapping their emotions, and not letting them solve their social problems, like conflicts, while playing.

These habits create a fearful image of their life, leading them to believe they can't solve their problems independently and crumble at even minor issues.

Parents can solve this problem by letting their child do what he wants.

Signs of overparenting a toddler

Here are a few signs that indicate you may be showing over-protection.

• You micromanage their games
• Speaking for them
• Schedule their timetable and order them to stick to it
• Apologize on behalf of them
• Unnecessary berdonize yourself with their work.
• Don't Let Them Take Age-Appropriate Risks

While doing over-protection, most of the time, mothers don't let their children take the appropriate risks, even age-related risks that they can tackle easily. If they are climbing anywhere, ask them not to do you may fall or do any hard work for them.

Instead of assessing real danger, ask yourself if it is really unsafe for him or if you are overprotecting him. Encourage him to do safe challenges instead of not letting him do that. Also, normalize small scraps and scratches.

Not Giving Them Social Independence.

Most mothers hover with their kids at their playdates and speak on their behalf, which is not good at all. Try to step back from their social circle and only prompt them; don't pressure them to do the same thing as you do

The Best Way to Handle Toddler Defiance

Most parents take toddler defiance at their ego and start yelling and hitting them. This is not a proper approach at all. Instead of doing this, try to fix it with empathy and strategic responses. Here are some key points. Keep it in your mind while dealing with kids.

• Stay Neutral at their bad behaviour.
• Try to validate their feeling first; they show this behaviour.
• Give them options to choose from instead of asking for something. For example, will you brush your teeth before or after changing clothes instead of asking directly if you want to?
• Toddlers have a short attention span, so you can easily shift their focus.
• Teach them problem-solving.
• Avoid power struggles; instead, try to convey things in a humorous and gamey way. Toddlers love to play.

Sleep Training Mistakes With Toddlers

Mothers face a challenging bedtime battle with toddlers. Here are some common mistakes that mothers make while giving them sleep training.

Start too late: wait until they get tired and then sleep. It is not a good approach because cortisol makes it more difficult to sleep if they get tired.

• Do not force them to sleep earlier; wait until they get drained.
• Not following a consistent routine also affects the sleep cycle.
• Relay on Sleep Crutches: lying with them
• Teaching kids that bedtime is not negotiable_ one more story, water not allowed or giving them a last warning.
• Skipping Nap, not to force them to take a nap if they are unwilling to do it, instead of replacing it with a good activity. 
• Not addressing sleep stealers is also a problem.

Why Timeouts Don't Work For Toddlers

A challenging time is like a motivator. It helps everyone to do their work asap, but this technique does not work best for toddlers for psychic reasons. Like 

• They lack emotional regulation.
• They can't connect behaviour with consequences.
• Feels like a loser_ shame and anxiety replace any potential lesson
• No replacement is given_ toddlers are not taught what to do if time goes out.
• No logical consequences_ They do not know what happens if they do what they should not do. Give them logical consequences, like joys are for gentle play; if you throw it, I'll take it away from you.

Compare Your Child With Others.

Most parents compare their children with their siblings, friends, and cousins. It is one of the biggest mistakes they have made. Parents should understand that every child has unique features and characteristics. When they compare their toddlers, they damage their confidence, and toddlers always struggle to do their best in every situation, as they think someone else does better than them.

Parents should appreciate their toddlers for little things and avoid such mistakes. They should celebrate their little wins and help them grow.

Trying to Raise a Perfect Child

Most of the time, parents make very strict rules and try to raise their child as a perfect child, which leads to overbearing behavior. It has been observed that those under strict rules and punishment are more likely to do wrong things than those who are free to do anything. This shows that strictness leads to disobedience.

First, learn one thing: there is no such thing as perfection in this world. Everyone is perfectly imperfect. It is totally okay to have flaws; everyone has them. So, instead of making rules and trying to be a perfectionistic parent, just try to be a symbol of love so that your toddler feels secure with you, along with all his imperfections.

How To Set Boundaries Without Yelling

Patience is the key to setting boundaries without yelling. You have to be very calm and connected with your toddlers. Here are some suggestions that you should follow.

• Don't repeat anything; use simple language so they can understand it easily. 
• Try not to say negative words; use Neutral statements that do not trigger them.
• Give them control while keeping control in your hand; instead of asking which dress you want to wear, ask them to choose between two options, i.e., red or blue. What do you want to wear?
• Use a rewarding statement instead of a challenging one. Instead of saying, "If you don't finish your homework, I won't give you a lollipop," say, "First, complete your work, then we'll play and have some snacks."
• Redirect, not punish; if your toddlers do something wrong, redirect to the next point instead of just stopping them from doing wrong. For example, if they are climbing up the table, instead of punishing them or preventing them repeatedly, just once, say the table is for eating, not climbing and jumping, and you can go there. (point out towards something safe to play) 

Why not yelling

Yelling triggers fear and defiance. It lessens your trust in yourself and will likely lead everything in the opposite direction.

Summing Up

Trying to be perfect sometimes leads to unconsciously feeding many unhealthy things. We have summarised here a lot of parenting mistakes to avoid with toddlers so that you can be an ideal parent for your toddler.

If you are a new parent, this guide will help you avoid some common mistakes that can ruin your kid's personality. Read to the end and get yourself informed. Don't forget to let us know what you used to do.