Your Role as a Parent in Your Toddler’s Social-Emotional Development

Your role in your toddler’s social-emotional development is to: 

1) Help your toddler learn to manage their emotions without suppressing feelings

2) Set boundaries to create a physically and emotionally safe home

Neither task is simple and both require a high level of emotional strength or the willingness to improve in this area (self-improvement). If you feel you need support while helping your toddler grow emotionally, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s healthcare provider or a licensed therapist with expertise in early childhood development. Some children are more challenging at this stage than others and expert advice and new ideas can go a long way.

3 Key Rules to Live By When Parenting a Toddler

Rule #1: Provide Unconditional Love

Rule #2: Model The Behavior You Want To See

Be what you want to see and do that as often as you can. What you do, say, and value will undoubtedly be internalized by your child. When you naturally and frequently say “please” and “thank you,” your child takes this in and will likely pick up the same “habit” with no prompting or teaching from you. If you want your child to engage in conversation during mealtime, make sure that you are also free of devices and engaged. Consider what habits and traits of yours you hope to pass on to your child and continue to model those without any overt mention of those actions. Just do you but with intentionality as a model for your child. This is the easiest and most effective method of discipline. 

Rule #3: Embody the 4 Cs of Parenting A Toddler

• Compassionate. When we extend compassion and empathy to our children, we give them the gift of understanding and self-worth. 

• Calm. Whenever we approach our children, calmness allows everyone to be seen and heard. It also allows us to think more clearly and objectively.  

• Confident. Your toddler should feel secure in your ability to handle all situations. 

• Consistent. Consistency, like confidence, offers security and predictability in a world that toddlers feel is so out of their control. Consistency can also be used to reinforce appropriate behaviors. 

Additionally, everyone who cares for your child should adopt these principles, so make sure to share your plans, ideas, and expectations.