Caring For Toddlers - Part II

1. Your child seems to be uncomfortable kissing relatives who, in turn, might feel offended or rejected. What is the best way out of this situation?

Asking the child to give the other person a kiss otherwise his/her gift goes back or something similar.
Ask him to give a high five or shaking hands, basically anything with which he is more comfortable.
Getting to know exactly what the problem is and then trying to resolve it.

2. Your 2 year old has a habit of calling you by your name instead of "Mom" or "Dad". What is your reaction?

It's OK as long as it happens only sometimes.
It isn't acceptable and has to be changed immediately.
You feel bad or embarrassed but realize that it happens often because they're imitating others.

3. Your child has a habit of whining constantly. How should you deal with it?

Listen to him and try to find out the reason behind his constant whining.
Tell him to stop whining otherwise he's not getting what he wants.
Ask him to change his tone or to tell you in another way.

4. How do you react when your child says "I hate you"?

You get upset or angry.
Try to get your child to rephrase the sentence so that he means what he says, e.g. I'm angry with you or I don't like what you said.
Kids learn by imitating so you stop using words like hate etc. so that they also don't use it.

5. Your child is disrespectful towards others. How can you change his attitude and teach him to respect others?

Keep reminding him over and over that he should be considerate and respect others.
Explain to him that his behaviour is hurtful and he needs to change.
Kids learn by example so you should respect him and others and he'll copy you.

6. What should you do when your child refuses to say "please" or "thank you" to someone else?

Tell her she'd better say please or elseâ¦.
Prepare her in advance about minding her manners.
Say it on her behalf so that any embarrassment is avoided.

7. When your child does something wrong, what should you do?

Get him to say sorry or apologize.
Apologize on his behalf and get him to rectify his misdeed.
Tell him what he did was wrong and he has to learn to stay within limits. Also, get him to undo his actions.

8. Is it wrong for a child to use bathroom words such as "poo poo", "pee pee" and "boobies"?

No, it's usual practice.
Yes, it's very embarrassing.
Sometimes, it's ok.

9. How do you respond when your child uses swear words or profanity?

Realize it's a part of growing up but set limits e.g. those words should not be used at home.
Stop using profanity yourself and stop watching programs which have a lot of abusive language.
Tell the child that it is unacceptable to use such words for which there might be dire consequences.

10. Is it advisable to leave children in someone else's care without saying bye to them?

No, they should be told that you are leaving.
Yes, otherwise they might create a lot of fuss.
Maybe, but only if you are going for a short period of time and you know you won't be missed.