Two-Year-Olds Discussions
Our questions and expert discussions about two-year-olds provide parents with the tools they need to survive the "terrible twos." Get answers to your questions, ask a question for our experts and interact with other parents of two-year-olds.
DiscussionHow can I make cleaning fun?
Cleaning up can be fun when it’s a shared experience, when it’s accompanied by a song (“Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere…”), and when there’s a goal in mind. Make the clean-up process a fun activity by incorporating a challenge, such as trying to fit all the toys into a specific basket, or attempting to clean up all the blocks...
Logic & Problem Solving
Do motor skills develop naturally? How can I help my child?
Children's physical and motor skills tend to develop a rather predictable sequence. As a children's bodies grow, they will also acquire the skills needed to coordinate and maneuver those body parts. Of course, these skill do not appear out of nowhere or develop in a vacuum.
Personal & Social Skills
Is there such a thing as too much imaginative play?
Pretend and imaginative play are crucial to a child's development. Research shows clear benefits of children's engagement in imaginative play, especially between the ages two and seven years. Pretend play encompass a host of cognitive and creative activities such as make-believe, storytelling, acting, divergent thinking and the use of ...
Creativity & Life Skills
How can I tame a restaurant tantrum?
While it is never fun to be the parent of a screaming child in a restaurant, take comfort in the fact that tantrums are a normal part of development and are just an expression of your child’s frustration. When your child begins to get upset, try to distract and redirect his/her attention. If that doesn’t work, calmly pick up your child...
How can I feed my picky eater more vegetables?
While it may be tempting to try to bribe or trick your child into eating more vegetables, research has shown that forcing your child to eat something can actually make picky eating behavior worse. Instead, try making your child’s experience with eating vegetables as positive, and low pressure, as possible. For example, try arranging ve...
My toddler is learning at a preschool level but isn't ready for preschool. How can I challenge him?
This is a great opportunity to provide your toddler with printables and activities that challenge him to grasp early reading and math skills. Browse the Preschool and Pre-K printables and activities on Learning Path that focus on basic letter and number learning. Encourage your child to call out letters or words in books as you read to...
Reading & Writing
How can I wean my toddler off the pacifier without getting a full blown tantrum?
Though we cannot promise tantrum-free results, here are some tips to smoothing the pacifier weaning process. You may want to give your child some warning that “in a few days, we will say bye-bye to your binky.” Continue to remind your child that this will happen, with matter-of-fact language, until the day it goes away. This will prepa...
Personal & Social Skills
How can I get my toddler to put on her coat when she refuses?
Getting organized and out the door with young children is a challenge in itself, add a toddler who refuses to put on a coat and it’s enough to make you want to stay inside! While it is important to give your toddler the opportunity to make her own choices, you need to make sure that she is adequately dressed for the weather. One way to...
Personal & Social Skills
How can I encourage my son to play outside and enjoy nature?
Take advantage of your son’s natural curiosity, and provide him with plenty of experiences to explore nature using all of his senses. For example, go for a nature walk and let him have fun navigating his way through rocks, mud, snow, tree branches, and roots. You can also give your child a bucket so they can collect leaves, acorns, pin...
Science
What should I do beyond counting to prepare my daughter for math?
Play is a great way to introduce your child to a wide variety of mathematical concepts. For example, engaging in pretend play helps children practice many important pre-math skills such as symbolic thinking and problem solving. Playing with blocks is another fun way to teach your child about basic math concepts such as size and shape. ...
Mathematics
Can you recommend some holiday books for my toddler?
There are many fun books to get your child excited about the holiday! “The Night Before Christmas” by Rachel Isadora adds a modern twist to a classic favorite, and is beautifully illustrated using paper collage and oil paints. “Dream Snow” by Eric Carle is a wintery tale that really captures the snowy magic of the holidays. “Duck & Goo...
Reading & Writing
My 3-yr-old's favorite word is "No." How do we deal with his defiance?
I know it's frustrating when your child responds to your every request with “No!” If it helps, you can rest assured that it is actually a healthy sign of development— he is developing autonomy. Your child is beginning to understand that he is separate from you and can exert some control over his world. When he says “No,” he is really s...
Personal & Social Skills