Life Kit How to talk toddler
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Oct 2, 2025 
Andy Tegel, a Life Kit reporter, dives into the complexities of toddler behavior, helping caregivers navigate this tricky stage. He explores how toddlers' growing sense of self can make pushback feel personal. Experts explain toddlers’ egocentrism and immature executive function, which complicate reasoning. Playful disruptions and structured choices can ease transitions and manage big emotions. Finally, they discuss respectful consequences and co-regulation strategies to handle tantrums, ensuring a smoother parenting journey.
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Toddlers Are Discovering Themselves
- Toddlerhood is the stage when children discover they are separate people and test boundaries constantly.
- This self-discovery drives oppositional behavior as toddlers learn who they are relative to others.
Don't Reason With Big Toddler Feelings
- Remove your grown-up goggles and avoid reasoning with a toddler's emotions during a meltdown.
- Meet the feeling instead of arguing facts because their perspective and timing differ from yours.
Toddlers Lack Mature Executive Function
- Executive function skills like reasoning and emotion regulation develop very late and are minimal in toddlers.
- Expect limited perspective-taking and emotional control from young children as a developmental norm.
