Are you finding it hard to communicate with your toddler? Do you have a little bit of mom guilt because you feel like you are yelling and screaming most of the time, and it’s getting you nowhere? Then this may be the post for you. I will share five insanely great ways to communicate with your toddler.
Before we get started, I want to say that I am in no way a licensed medical professional. I am just a mom with two toddlers sharing some tips and advice. Communicating with your little ones can be tricky, but it can be rewarding when you see results.
In the begging of my mom journey, I would get so frustrated because I hadn’t figured out how to communicate with my daughter. I found myself getting way more frustrated than I probably should have and my stress levels were at an all time high. After tons of research and experience, I was starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Table of contents
- Speak their language
- Don’t yell or scam
- Reinforce what they are telling you
- Gain their toddler trust
- Let them express themselves
Speak Their Language
Now I’m not saying that you have to go around speaking “baby language,” lol, but you do have to speak in a way that they understand what is being said. Try to stray away from using complicated words and make your sentences plain and clear.
When your kids are speaking, listen attentively and with enthusiasm. They love knowing that they are being heard and taken seriously. Learning to speak their language is easy and effective.
I know it can get hard hearing your name being called a thousands times a day, but try not to ignore your little ones and and answer any questions they may have. Another tip I have is, I don’t speak to my kids in baby language. Even when my kids were babies I tried straying away from the goo-goo-gaa-gaa language.
Here are some more helpful tools to help you communicate with your toddler. Some links are affiliate links; this means that I may receive a commission if you purchase through them. It is at no additional cost to you.
Don’t yell or scream
You won’t get anywhere yelling and screaming. Trust me, I know. I learned quickly that this way of communication only would frustrate both of you. I also try to stray away from saying “NO.” For example, if my daughter asks for candy. Instead of saying “NO,” I will say something like “ too much candy is bad for your teeth,” maybe you can eat fruit instead. You have to back it up with positive reinforcement.
I feel like if you only communicate by yelling or screaming, your kids will pick up on that. Do you ever see some kids that yell or scream as a way of getting their point across or get super aggressive with other children?
Parenting can be stressful, so if you find yourself getting frustrated, try to take some deep breaths and find another way to talk with your kiddos. When my kids are throwing mini tantrums, something that works for me is to let them have their moment. This leads me to the next tip.
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Let them express themselves
Let your little ones express themselves. If they are having a fit, let them have one. You have to remember they don’t know how to control their emotions. Most adults can’t either. I try my hardest to stray away from saying “stop crying” or “stop talking.”
By letting your kids express themselves, you’re helping them learn how to communicate what they are feeling. Now I don’t want you to think I’m telling you to let your toddlers behave any kind away. I’m just saying give them a little freedom to express how they feel.
Since I let my little ones express how they feel, my daughter is getting to the point where she actually tells me what is wrong. If she thinks I’m being unfair, she tells me in a calm manner.
Reinforce what they are telling you
Toddlers just want to be heard. That’s why they scream the word mommy in a million different ways until they have our attention. When your little ones are talking you can follow up by saying, mommy hears you or repeat back what they have just told you.
Give eye contact when they are speaking and say reinforcing words, so they know you are listening. If you are genuinely busy, then stop and let them know that mommy is busy and that you will listen as soon as you are done. Of course this only works a few times, after the third or fifth time, they will start to loose patience.
Gain their toddler trust
To sum it all up, the way you gain their trust is to practice all the tips I went over today. Why do you need to gain their trust, you may be asking? If you gain their trust, then you will have an easier time communicating and interacting with them.
Give lots of hugs and kisses and, of course, if you have to administer discipline. Do it in such a way that it is positive and doesn’t bring them down. You can try time-outs or take things away. Always try to explain the reason for disciplining them.
I hope that today’s tips on 5 insanely great ways to communicate with your toddler have been helpful. Let me know in the comments below about some great ways you communicate with your toddler. If you have subscribed to my blog, don’t delay. I would love to keep you informed when I put out a new post. As always, thanks for reading.