Oh Baby - Toddler

Welcome to the 21st Century

Those halcyon days are gone. In the 21st century, the “snack” shelves in every grocery store across North America and Europe are taking up exponentially more real estate. And in response, the occasions on which it is deemed necessary or desirable to have a snack has also grown exponentially.

Learning Play: What you'll notice

Most toddlers say a handful of words by their first birthday, and continue adding a few here and there on a daily basis. Neuroscientists have figured out that 50 is the magic number: Once your toddler has mastered roughly four dozen words, a language explosion begins, and he’ll constantly surprise you with new adorably pronounced (or mispronounced) words.

Guilt Be Gone! Simple strategies for taming guilt

One of the most common issues I hear from fellow Moms has to do with guilt: “I went out for a little ‘me’ time and felt guilty the whole time I was out;” “I lost it on my kids and felt guilty for days;” “I just don’t know how to not feel guilty.” Sound familiar?!

My Own Baby Signing Story

Like many parents who sign with their baby, my initial motivation for teaching my son American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary was to give him a way to express his wants and needs before he was able to speak. Joshua started signing at nine months of age, and by the time he was 18 months old, he could use at least 80 words, a combination of spoken words and signs.

Toddler Eating Habits

As your child grows you will find changes in different habits, from sleeping to favourite toys. The most discouraging for parents is the change in eating habits between baby and toddler stages in your child’s life. All of a sudden your child goes from eating anything you put in front of them, to being a pickier eater.

Separation Anxiety

Is your baby only happy when you are within arm’s reach? When you leave the room, does your child cry as if you’ve left the country? Do you find it nearly impossible to go out for dinner, let alone take a shower! If this is the case with your baby, rest assured that nothing you’ve done has “made” your baby develop separation anxiety.