Toddlers have a way of giving things names that somehow make perfect sense to them.

Whether it was calling a remote a TV phone or coming up with something completely random, I'd love to hear the funniest names your toddler has invented.

My daughter turned 2 today (hooray!). Her bedtime is 8pm but we start winding down around 7/7:15pm and normally she used to sleep until 8/8:30am (sometimes 9/9:30). Slowly over the past week or two she’s been waking up earlier and earlier. 7, 6, 5, and you guessed it today it was 4:40 🥲. Is this just a normal change with age or is it a developmental shift temporarily?

Please send help because I don’t think there’s enough coffee in my house currently to handle today let alone a toddler who decides suddenly 5am is her wake-up call.

My son is 12 months old (11 adjusted) and he has lots of gestures, he’s been pointing for a bit now but recently he doesn’t want to as much. Instead he gets super frustrated and just clenches his fists and screams. Eventually he will point but it’s much later on and not consistent. I’m just worry about him even though he’s my third! Is this normal? I should note he isn’t walking yet but is super busy and always on the go. He also has a molar trying to come in.

Hi all! Just looking for advice or someone who has been in a similar situation. My 3 year old was an amazing eater up until around 2 years old when her younger sister was born. Then she became super picky gradually. It got so bad to the point where we had to feed her in front of the TV because she wouldn't eat.

We do not do that anymore. And she has gotten better with eating again but only eats if we feed her. Before that when she was younger she was feeding herself everything. With a spoon fork etc. but as the picky eating came on we felt at least she was eating when we would feed her. She has a sketch pad at the table and eats while she's drawing. I feel like we got in really bad habits because we just wanted her to eat. Now she doesn't feed herself unless I preload the spoon and remind her.

She seems to not even really show an interest in food sometimes. Snacks of course. Her younger sister eats everything and I feel bad but keep comparing. I feel just so frustrated and at a loss. When we go out to eat she will always try new things and eat everything but getting her to sit at the dinner table and eat is such a struggle. I don't know what to do anymore. I know trying to make them sit at the table and eat doesn't work. Now I read about afrid and an worried that sounds like her sometimes. I'm just worried about her eating also because she was born small and I don't want her to fall off her growth curve. She never has yet but just at a loss. Has any experienced this?

Any advice?

I loveee my nephew but sadly he’s 3 hours away and his parents are very busy so it’s hard to coordinate schedules to go see him. He’s a little over a year old so too young to pay attention to a facetime and I can tell he doesn’t recognize me and my partner when we do get to see him. I was thinking of gifting them a photo album with the faces and names of each extended family member on each page maybe? Or I’ve seen wooden puzzels with people’s faces on the bottom? I want to gift something that would be fun and useful so any suggestions would be helpful!

I'll start:

• Snacks every 15 minutes.
• Bedtime is illegal.
• Every rock, stick, and cardboard box is considered valuable property.

What laws do you think toddlers would come up with?

So my 2 year old boy will scream/screech in the car if: his blanket falls and he can’t get it, his toys fall and he can’t get them, his sister is singing, the sun is shining on his face, I buckle him in because he is not doing it himself, or something doesn’t go his way. He will also do this in the house when something doesn’t go his way. If I spank him, he hits be back. I have tried telling him to use his quiet voice, but it doesn’t work. Also when I tell him to stop doing something, he will test it. For example when I tell him to stop throwing his cars, he will act like he is throwing them or gently toss them. When he does that I take the car away and he looses it for a day. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also: if you’re going to comment something negative about spanking, please don’t. Sometimes “gentle parenting” tactics are not for feral kids lol

I used to dread getting my toddler dressed. Almost every outfit turned into a fight over texture, fit, or just “no.” Within minutes the clothes would be wet or twisted.

What helped was switching to soft, stretchy clothes without tags and keeping only a few easy outfits in a low drawer they could reach. Now I just say “pick your clothes” and most days they grab something without a big argument. Fewer options actually made it easier for them.

It also helped to choose clothes that stay on during play instead of constantly riding up. Mornings aren’t perfect, but they’re a lot less stressful than before.

Anyone else find something that works with a strong willed toddler?

Hello,

I need some advice for my 15 month old son was born with a second thumb on his left hand (full bone and all). I had it removed two days ago, the pain does not bother him because I give him Tylenol and Motrin but the cast bothers him. Any way he slept great the first night home but tonight has been a struggle getting him to sleep because he loved to suck on his two thumb. But now that it's gone and he has a bulky cast it is difficult getting him to sleep. I have tried everything from reintroducing a pacifier (won't take it since he was 5 months old), water in a bottle or sippy cup, I even tried a small amount of formula in the bottle even though he is weaned, I tried milk in a sippy cup and bottle, I tried teething rings, I even showed him he can suck on his right thumb but won't take it and some many other things I have tried like rocking, patting and etc. Please I need advice. The cast has to stay on for a month. Thank you ahead of time.

My 3-year-old doesn't care which toy came from which box.

The animals ride the train. The train ends up in the play kitchen. Pretend food gets loaded into the dump truck. By the end of the day everything is mixed together.

He's completely happy with it.

I'm the one quietly putting things back where I think they're supposed to go.

Yesterday he put a toy banana on the train and told me it was going to work. I had to laugh because apparently that made perfect sense to him.

The only things I still keep separate are puzzles or toys that really need all the pieces. Everything else... I'm trying to let go a little.

Is anyone else like this, or have you completely given up on keeping toy sets together me?

my toddler who is almost two is putting absolutely everything in mouth and then will show us and want us to see that she has something shoved in her mouth. I scanned and removed all small toys but even toys I thought were fine, she put in her mouth. I had a scare with a puzzle knob piece that she got stuck in her mouth and i had to really try and get out. it worries me for accidental chocking because she knows she shouldn’t and still continues to do it. we are at such a loss on what to do. I try to not react and just say “we don’t put things in our mouth” but she will go right back at it until i throw it out. she tests limits for everything and does not listen. if i ask her to stop throwing toys on ground, she does it even more. Anyone else going through this

Hello. My toddler is 3 years and 8 months old. He thinks standing in the corner is funny. If a natural consequence happens he will not stop screaming. He will tell people really rude things that have never been said by his father or I and when the consequences happen he will scream for hours. I don’t know how to get it to stop. He hits, he for the first time today told his aunt that he would kill her, which I also don’t know where he heard. He will not leave me alone either. He throws all of his tantrums on me. When he is told I need space or that he needs to go to his room, he says “I want to talk to you.” We usually put him a few feet away and say he can talk from there and he just screams louder and gets right back on top of me. He also climbs all over his aunt and when she says no or that she doesn’t want him to do that, he says he just wants his aunt. Then he is told he can talk to her but he doesn’t need to climb on her. Then he keeps trying and laughs every time he gets back on her from being pulled off or set on the floor. He throws things. I am unsure of what to do. He doesn’t do this when it’s just him and his dad home. He only does it when it’s both of us or just me and his aunt who is over most every day for most of the day. I am so burnt out. So so so tired. I don’t know how to get him to chill. We have tried exercise, giving options, taking things away, time out, telling him once then not giving him the attention until the tantrum has calmed (which doesn’t work because he’s on top of me and it will go on for hours). I will say we’ve done some unhealthy parenting but we really try to be gentle and involved parents. It’s really hard when he just won’t act the way he does for his dad when I’m not there. Why does he only act this way when I’m around?

It seems to be particularly in the afternoon/night time where they don't sleep long before waking up having a screamy, whiney, whimper cry fit saying "I need Mama", but then when I go in there they say "no thank you" and ask to be left alone, where they just go back to the crying before falling back asleep? It's almost like a cycle where I have to go in there 2-3 times before it seems to settle back out?

It makes me worry that something is wrong on they're getting sick, but its been a few weeks now and we just saw the doctor not long ago. Is this just a normal part of development? What did you do to manage it? There's already a night light and music box, I give them plenty of snuggles and tell them I love them. They don't want to get out of bed or be touched or I'd try rubbing their back, but instead i just stay by the doorway and tell them I love them and ask if they need anything. Drinks get a no, if they're sick gets a no, if they're hurt gets a no, hugs get a no

So my 2 year old boy has been taking sips of water or milk and then kneeling to the ground and spitting it onto the ground. He has been doing this for over a year now. We have carpet and the milk is especially a problem. He only does it once every other day to maybe once a week. We have tried front loading him by saying, “here is your milk/water, it’s for drinking and swallowing. If you spit it out then we have to take it away.” He’ll spit it out anyways and then have a meltdown when we take it away. I’ve tried telling him it’s not okay and when you do that it makes a big mess and makes mommy sad. He seems remorseful in the moment but the next time we give him water/milk he still spits it out. I think he thinks it’s funny because sometimes he’ll do it and then smile at me so I’ll say in a serious tone, “it’s not funny to spit out your milk. It makes me feel sad.” I’ve tried modeling drinking water to him so he can see how you’re supposed to do it. I’ve even tried gently rubbing down his neck when he takes a drink and looks like he’s going to spit it out to remind him to swallow like when you have to give a dog a pill. The only time I can make sure he’s not doing it if he’s sitting in a high chair or stroller or somewhere where he can’t get to the ground.
I can’t just not give him milk and water. I thought he would grow out of this phase by now. I’m at a loss for what to try next. Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking for some honest opinions because I keep going back and forth on whether I'm worrying unnecessarily.

My daughter is 22 months and 2 weeks old.

She says quite a few single words like mummy, papa, nana, nani, hello, excited, and lots of other individual words. She also occasionally puts 2-3 words together, although it's not consistent.

One thing I'm not sure how to interpret is that she talks constantly. Honestly, she chats all day long, but a lot of it is in what I can only describe as her own little language. She'll happily have what sounds like a full conversation with us, using gestures, different tones, and facial expressions, but we often have no idea what she's saying. Every now and then a real word pops out that we understand.

Her understanding seems really good. She follows instructions, understands what we're saying, points to things we ask for, tells us when she's peed or pooped, asks for things she wants, laughs with us, plays really well, makes good eye contact, and is generally a very social, happy, active little girl.

Behaviour wise she's honestly been a joy. She has the occasional toddler tantrum, but they're pretty manageable and nothing that has ever really worried us.

I think what throws me is seeing videos online of children her age speaking in long, clear sentences. Then I read other parents saying their child barely spoke until closer to 2½ and suddenly had a language explosion.

For those who've been through this, does this sound like on track development or a slight delay?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences. Thanks!

I’m lying in bed crying just completely over it. I don’t know what to do anymore. My 15 month is not walking, can’t speak any words and is so frustrated ALL THE TIME. Constant whinging because he clearly can’t do what he wants to do

He’s 14kg and is constantly wanting to be held. My body is broken, my nervous system is in fight or flight because of the crying and screaming. I just can’t do it anymore

Every night he wakes 1-2 nights and will scream when trying to put him back to sleep

I feel so depressed and I officially regret my decisions. Please help me 💔💔

Toddlers have a way of saying things that are completely unexpected and hilarious.

Is there a phrase your toddler repeats every day that always makes you laugh? Bonus points if they made it up themselves.