New Toddler Parenting

Make faces in the mirror with your baby and name the emotion you’re showing.

Bring the noise and strengthen your baby’s listening skills.

Get out the pots and pans (and ear plugs) and watch your baby discover cause and effect.

How do you read to a squirmy toddler? LeapFrog Literacy Expert Dr. Carolyn James has help for parents of toddlers who won’t sit still!

Our learning experts explain how to choose the best educational toys for your new toddler.

Play dates provide children with opportunities to practice important social and emotional skills. Children learn to share, take turns, and cooperate as they interact with each other. Play dates are also a great place for children to practice manners and learn how to communicate with one another. At this age, it is usually best to keep play dates relatively short (90 minutes to 2 hours) so children do not get overtired. It is also important to note that children will likely play side-by-side with their peers (a type of play called parallel play) rather than interact with their playmates, and that this is a developmentally appropriate type of play at this age.

Now it’s summer, it's great to get children outdoors to play. No matter what your child is interested in, there are lots of fun toys to get your child outside and having fun! If you have a little artist, try sidewalk chalk, or give your child a paintbrush and water to paint rocks (Melissa and Doug’s Jumbo Paintbrushes are easy for toddlers to grasp). Little explorers will have fun digging for worms in the garden with a plastic shovel (I like the small size of Hape’s sand shovel). Kid-O’s Quut Cuppi and Play Toy’s Dump Truck are fun for little builders who like to spend their days in the sandbox. Little athletes will have a blast kicking and throwing Crocodile Creek’s adorable playballs, or learning how to bowl with Melissa and Doug’s Bowling Friends Preschool Playset.

Although it can be embarrassing your when your toddler hits or bites, try to remember that this is perfectly normal, if undesirable, behavior. Rather than yell or punish, use natural consequences. Remove your toddler from the fun situation (and any judgmental stares that may fluster you) and let him know that he may not play when he hits. Some toddlers are simply testing limits to see what happens. If what happens each time is not very fun or interesting, the behavior will stop more quickly. Any big response, even a negative one, on the other hand, will likely prolong the behavior. Other times, a toddler may be reacting out of frustration. If you suspect that is the case, empathize with the emotion ("You wanted the ball. Maybe you felt angry?"), reinforce the limits ("That's okay to be upset, but you cannot hurt someone else."). Suggest alternatives ("Next time, you can ask for a turn or Mommy will help you find another ball."). If at all possible, bring your toddler with you to make amends with the other child. See if the other child is okay and help your child apologize for hitting. Toddlers are not yet capable of empathy and will not be able to imagine how the other child feels. Still, if you practice the skill of caring for others, this will eventually seep in when the child is older. Make sure to praise children who are playing nicely. Keep calm and be consistent in your response. Normally developing toddlers will pass out of this phase quickly.

Lullabies aren't just for babies; children of all ages can benefit from soothing music.

The early wiring of your baby’s brain sets the stage for future development. Here are some tips to enrich your child's early experiences.

How to choose toys that bring out your kids' brilliance.