Ever wonder where the saying "off and running" comes from? Well I bet it comes from this stage of development! By now your little person is at the least standing and at the most running after cars…well hopefully not…but you get the point. The world is the new frontier for a toddler. From the cascading mountain top of stairs to the whirling waters of the toilet bowl, you've got a new world explorer on your hands for sure.

Remember your baby develops most optimally in relationship to you. When our children hit the toddler stage we begin to start feeling some pressures around socialization. Other than the ocassional interaction with another child of a similar age…don't give in if you don't have too. The best socialization is socialization with the parent. Oftentimes we make the mistake of moving our children to quickly into relating with other children before there brains are ready. I encourage you to read my e-book Parenting Softly for some basic and specific guidance on this stage of development.

There's lots of parental confusion at this stage. Do I let him do this, do I stop him from doing that? Am I saying "no" too much? Should I be using "time-out" if so how? How do I teach him best??? Feel overwhelmed yet? All of these questions can overwhelm parents. The first thing I recommend is that you slow down, take some deep breaths and remember there is nothing that you have to make a decision on right this minute, and no decision you make is gonna be life or death. A part of parenting is getting to make mistakes and learn from them. The key is to be flexible, open, and understanding.

There are so many potential questions at this stage I think I'll let you lead and I'll follow. I'm sure we can find the answers if we put our heads together.

B.