9 Mistakes to Avoid With Your Toddler

These parenting missteps are common, but you can navigate around them with smart strategies.

Medically Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD on September 14, 2015
5 min read

Toddlers -- full of energy and eager to test your limits as well as their legs -- can be a particular challenge for parents. But even though children don't come with an owner’s manual, the adventure can be more fun if you're aware of a few common mistakes parents make and how to avoid them.

Toddlers do best when they know what to expect, whether it's what time they bathe and go to bed or what consequences they'll face for misbehaving. The more consistent and predictable things are, the more resilient and agreeable a toddler is likely to be.

Fix it: As much as you can, keep regular routines for your child. Consistency can be a challenge when parents (or other caregivers) don't see eye to eye.

If you're not sure how best to react when your child dumps food on the floor or ignores bedtime, sit down with your partner to decide ahead of time how you'll both respond -- and then stick with it.

"You don't want to send mixed messages," pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, the author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions about Babies and Toddlers, says, "you really want to be consistent."

It's fun to spend time with the whole family. But some parents go overboard on family time.

Clinical psychologist Thomas Phelan, author of 1-2-3 Magic, says, "Kids cherish time alone with one parent." He points out, "One-on-one time is fun for parents too, because there's no sibling rivalry to contend with."

Fix it: It's easy to spend one-on-one time with a toddler. Phelan recommends simply getting down on the floor together and playing. At bedtime, enjoy reading a book together or tell stories to your child.

Some parents jump in to help a toddler who is having trouble doing something. Before you do, consider the possibility that helping your child complete a puzzle or put on a shirt may send the message that they can't do it alone.

"Parents who offer too much help may be sabotaging their young children's ability to become self-reliant," Betsy Brown Braun, author of You're Not the Boss of Me, says.

Fix it: "We need to teach children to tolerate struggle," Braun says.

At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with offering praise and encouragement. "Be a cheerleader," Braun says. "Say, 'You can do this!'"

Talking with toddlers is usually a terrific idea, but not when it's time to rein in errant behavior.

Imagine a mom has just said "no" to their 2-year-old's request for a cookie. The child fusses. Mom explains that it's suppertime. The child grabs a cookie anyway. Mom takes it away and tries again to explain themselves to their now tearful child. Back and forth it goes with mounting frustration on both sides.

"Talking can lead to what I call the talk-persuade-argue-yell-hit pattern," Phelan says. "Toddlers are not adults in a little body. They're not logical, and they just can't assimilate what you are saying to them."

Fix it: Once you tell your toddler to do something, Phelan says, don't talk about it or make eye contact. If the child disobeys, give a brief verbal warning or count to three. If the child refuses to toe the line, give a time-out or another immediate consequence. No explaining.

Does your toddler seem to eat nothing but chicken fingers and fries? Are goldfish crackers the only fish they eat? As some parents realize too late, toddlers fed a steady diet of nutritionally iffy kid's foods may resist eating anything else.

Fix it: Encourage your child to try "grown-up" fare. "A good percentage of kids are willing to try a new food if they see mommy and daddy enjoying it," Altmann says. "If they push back, keep putting it on their plate. Some kids need to try things a dozen or more times before they take to it."

But don't worry too much if your toddler is a picky eater. "Most toddlers are," Braun says. "Children love the fight over food. If we make a fuss about it, it becomes a much bigger deal than it needs to be."

Braun's advice is not to worry as long as there's something your child can eat on the plate. Do not allow yourself, she says, to become your child's short-order cook.

Cribs do more than keep little ones safe. They promote good sleep habits.

A toddler moved too soon into a "real" bed may have trouble staying in bed or falling asleep and so may end up climbing into bed with mommy and daddy.

"Some moms wear themselves out because they have to lie down with their child every night," Altmann says. "They don't realize they're the ones who set the pattern."

Fix it: The time to get rid of the crib is when your child asks for a bed or starts climbing out of the crib. For most kids, that comes between the ages of 2 and 3 or when a child reaches a height of about 35 inches.

Some parents cajole their children into using the toilet when they think it's time and issue harsh reprimands when things go awry. That can lead to a power struggle.

Fix it: "Children learn to use the toilet when they're ready," Altmann says. "The process shouldn't be rushed."

But you can set the stage. Show your toddler the toilet. Explain its use. If you feel comfortable doing so, let your child watch you use the toilet and offer praise if they give it a whirl.

What if your child is still in diapers at age 4? "Don't worry," Altmann says. "No child is ever going to go to college in diapers."

Toddlers who watch lots of TV often have more trouble learning later on. And studies suggest that kids under the age of 2 can't really take in what's being displayed on TV and computer screens.

Fix it: Keep your toddler busy with reading and other creative pursuits. Have conversations-and encourage talking as well as listening. "The longer you can hold off exposing your child to TV, the better," Altmann says.

Some parents worry that an out-of-control child makes them seem like ineffectual parents. But all toddlers have tantrums. When they do, it's pointless to try to talk them out of it -- even if the drama is unfolding in front of company or in a public place.

"When we are in public and dealing with a child, we feel judged," Braun says. "We feel like there is a neon sign over our heads saying we are incompetent parents."

Fix it: Braun says parents must remember that the child matters more than the opinions of other people -- especially strangers.

If people glare or offer unwanted advice, simply smile and say something like, "Gosh, do you remember what it was like?" Then scoop up the wailing child and find a place away from prying eyes for the tantrum to run its course. Once it does, offer the child a hug and go on with your day.