The Wonder Years

My toddlers are incredibly loving and contented children. They are curious souls –explorers, even. But sometimes their behaviour is downright mystifying. They climb in the cupboards; they scream for no reason; throw food. I'm sure you can imagine. What should I make of these idiosyncrasies? Here’s my take:

They beg to be held. But as soon as I scoop them up, they wriggle to get down again.
They are getting used to their new found mobility and the independence that goes with it. hey love exploring their surroundings, but once they do, it means they are away from me...and that can be pretty scary. Usually when they teeter away, they will make their way back to me for reassurance. But as soon as pick them up, they see something new and exciting and want to explore.

Last night my son made me read Tumble Bumble times. He didn’t want any other book.
We are all creatures of habit. Why? Because we are comfortable with what is familiar. He loves listening to the same story because he knows what will happen next, and that makes him feel safe. Repetition is important at this stage of his life, as it helps reinforce new words. Plus, all that repetition is great for pre-reading skills. He is learning new sound patterns and acquiring the ability to interpret pictures.

My daughter will tell me she wants more chicken (or whatever food I’m serving up). But when I put it on her plate, she refuses to eat or throws it on the floor.
Clearly, there is no joy to be had in wasting food or cleaning spaghetti off the tile. But, she is using food to get attention. Food and eating are one of the very first things a child has control over, and mine is using it as a way to engage me. She knows I will react I've learned to never offer her more than 2-3 different foods at meals and I don't show my disappointment when she rejects them.

I am amazed at how the littlest things can keep them completely engaged!
Recently, we went on vacation and the beaches were pebbled instead of sandy. At first, I was upset that we wouldn’t have soft sand for them to play on. Then, I realized how totally enraptured they were by the little stones. They were studying them and committing them to memory. They had never seen anything like them before and they were using their powers of observation, and sense of touch (and sometimes taste) to try and understand what they were seeing.

Occasionally, my son will pick up a toy and whack me on the face or head with it!
It isn’t fun. But I’ve seen other children do it, so I know it’s “normal”. He is figuring out his own strength, seeing what different things he can do with his toys and trying to get a reaction out of me. I know he is not hitting me out of hostility. I never ignore it. The toy goes “bye-bye”, we review the “hands are for hugging, not hitting” rule, and we quickly engage in something else.