Loving Our Littles

Our Musical Littles will have 3 weeks of summer sessions! ☀️

Join me between June 23rd – July 11th at Fairview Park for a chance to dance, sing, and play outside with your little ones!

Register here: https://www.lovingourlittles.com/registration

Melt. My. Heart.

It is so cute when little kids are learning words and they just have a certain way of pronouncing some words in their little voice. I always felt so accomplished being relatively fluent in understanding toddler. The best moment would be when someone would look in confusion at what my child just said and I could "translate" for them.

What is your favourite word or phrase that your child pronounces "incorrectly"?

The truth is, a temper tantrum is a toddler's way of saying "Life isn't going my way!" However, sometimes, their frustration can come from the craziest of places. Here are some of the funniest reasons that toddlers have had serious temper tantrums.

😡 Toddler blew a kiss to daddy, and he opened his mouth and "ate and swallowed" the kiss. She was sobbing, "Daddy ATE my kisses!"
😡 Not ready to get into the bath, toddler was screaming "I NEED shirt! I NEED diaper!"
😡 There were no packages on the porch after nap time. 😭
😡 There were no more chips in the bag of chips that she just ate..
😡 Toddler asked for a sandwich and it was cut down the middle instead of corner to corner!

What was the craziest thing your child has yelled during a moment of losing it?

Monday Parenting Tip! ✅

When your toddler is yelling, it’s tempting to match their volume—but it rarely helps. Instead of yelling back, try one of these calm power moves:

1️⃣ Whisper Instead – Lower your voice. It creates contrast and draws their attention like magic. "I hear that you're yelling but it is too loud. Let's whisper instead!"

2️⃣ Name and Validate the Feeling – “You’re yelling because you’re really upset. I hear you.” It helps them feel understood and calms their brain.

3️⃣ Model the Calm You Want – Take a deep breath right in front of them and say, “Let’s both take a breath together.” They often mirror your tone. Then give them an example of what you want them to say in a better voice, "instead of yelling, I wanted to ask if I could have bubbles when I play outside." Oh! I can hear you much better now!

Your calm is contagious—even when it’s hard. 💛 You’ve got this.

I will be the first to admit – whining is the key to making my eyes roll. And of course, if one child starts whining, there’s usually another on standby to keep the volume steady while the first one catches their breath. So. Incredibly. Helpful. 🙄

And no, it never happens during peaceful, quiet moments. Whining loves to show up when we’re already late walking out the door, or when I’ve answered the same question three times and the answer wasn’t liked—so the child tries to whine their way into a different outcome. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work.

Homeschooling (and just having my kids around a lot) has taught me the value of checking my own emotions before I respond out of frustration.

Here’s my go-to: I take a deep breath. Sometimes two. Sometimes five. And when I feel my frustration rising, I’ll literally say, “I need to calm down a bit before I can respond to you.”

Do I do this perfectly? Nope. Not even close. But that gives me the chance to apologize and show my kids what it looks like to take ownership when I mess up—especially when I respond out of frustration.

Monday Parenting Tip! ✅

Toddlers crave independence—but they still need boundaries. One simple trick? Offer two choices instead of giving a command. And the greatest part - you can use this in all situations!

Why it works:
🧠 It gives them a sense of control.
🎯 You’re still steering the outcome.
💥 Less power struggle, more cooperation.

👟 Getting Out the Door
❌ Instead of: “Put on your shoes now.”
✅ Try: “Do you want to wear your red shoes or your blue ones?”

🥦 Mealtime
❌ Instead of: “Eat your veggies.”
✅ Try: “Do you want broccoli or carrots with your lunch?”

🧹 Clean-Up Time
❌ Instead of: “Clean up your toys.”
✅ Try: “Do you want to put away the blocks or the books first?”

🛁 Bath Time
❌ Instead of: “It’s bath time now.”
✅ Try: “Do you want bubbles or no bubbles in your bath tonight?”

This small shift helps toddlers feel empowered, not bossed around – everyone wins! 💛

Toddler life is such a strange, beautiful experience. You enter it so suddenly and almost unexpectedly—one day, you’ve got this tiny baby experiencing all the “firsts,” and the next, you wake up to a little person with strong opinions about everything.

Navigating the toddler stage means walking that fine line between helping them grow into independence while also meeting their constant need for help. Little by little, they start figuring things out—more words, more expressions, more capabilities.

And then, one day, they can do things on their own.

I’m honestly shocked that my oldest is turning 11 today 🎉. It really is true what they say: the days are long, but the years are short. When I think back to his early toddler years, one piece of advice always stands out:

Take deep breaths. Be patient.

I’ve had decades to learn how to process emotions, and I still have my own “temper tantrums” and moments of frustration. But these little ones have only had a few years to grow and develop – that’s exactly where they’re supposed to be.