they'll make you pull your hair out of your head

and then five seconds later

you'll want to just cuddle them.

You guys, today we are talking about

toddlers,

here on Millennial Moms.

(upbeat music)

(kiss)

So welcome back to Millennial Moms,

if you are new, my name is Jaimie

and I upload to Millennial Moms every Monday.

Speaking of uploading, we upload videos

Monday though Saturday

So if you're not already subscribed,

be sure to do so down below

so you don't miss any of our future uploads.

And if you like videos like this,

definitely let us know by giving us a big thumbs up.

(cheering)

Alright guys, so like I said,

we are talking about

(horn)

(crying)

toddlers.

Now I have a three

a three and under,

so we are, like, in the thick of

toddler, baby land

going on in my house,

and I'm not gonna lie to you guys,

some days I do want to pull my hair out of my head

because it just is so intense

Sometimes it gets a little bit crazy,

but have no fear you guys,

today I'm gonna be sharing with you

my top ten list of how to survive

kind of navigating through those toddler waters.

Toddlers are wanting to be independent.

They're no longer babies.

So a good way of navigating through this

is giving them their own responsibilities

and jobs.

One thing that we really like to do around my house

is let my kids help me unload the dishwasher.

Now I will take all of the knives

and all of the things that could cause some serious issues,

I will put those away first, obviously,

so that it's safe,

but I will just let them help me unload the dishwasher.

My three year old daughter loves

helping me fold laundry

and she knows that the wash cloths

in the laundry pile are hers,

nobody else touches those,

those are her special job to do.

So things like that, I feel,

really help a toddler to

feel independent and content during the day.

I have found that one way of really

making my toddlers feel content

is giving them choices.

Once again, letting them express that independence

that they're wanting,

but doing it in a controlled environment.

So for example, clothing.

I will pick out two different outfits

and let my kid pick from them.

That way you're not having to go to the grocery store

in a swimming suit and a tiara,

but they're still getting to exercise that independence.

Third thing would be to get them moving.

Toddlers learn with their body.

They are wanting to feel things,

they're wanting to run around,

they're wanting to experience things.

Take them to the park,

run around your house,

just get 'em moving.

Speaking of the active,

we all know that toddler's emotions

are just as active as their bodies are

and sometimes it can really drive you crazy

as a mom,

but one of the best pieces of advice that I received

when my daughter started kind of venturing

into those toddler years

was to not escalate with them.

When they escalate into the crazy zone

of screaming and throwing tantrums

you have to really try to stay centered

because they're looking to you as their parent

for that grounding,

for that center that's gonna bring them back down

and give them a safe place.

This next thing I probably don't even have to say,

but remember to love on them and snuggle them,

it's still so important to just still love on them

and give them that physical affection

and love that they really need,

even though they're getting bigger.

The next thing would be to make things fun.

Now this could be whether you're eating your vegetables

or you're trying to pick up your toys,

the thing about toddlers is that they really are so simple,

so turning something into a song

or turning it into a game,

it doesn't have to be anything super crazy,

just come up with something that you can do

with your kids to make things fun.

This next step is to listen when they're talking to you

and repeat to them what you hear them saying.

It's one of the biggest frustrations of little people

is to feel like they're not heard,

and I've really learned that with my three year old,

if she is frustrated,

most of the time it's because she feels like

she's not being heard.

So if I sit down with her and I say to her,

you know, Fiona, I hear that you want a cookie right now,

I hear that,

and I know that that's frustrating for you,

when I approach the situation like that

and I'm really paying respect to how she's feeling,

she might not get what she wants in that instance,

but I definitely see a change in her demeanor

when she knows that I'm understanding what she's saying

and that she's being heard.

The next thing would be to spend quality time.

Kids can have all the toys in the world,

they can have all the activities and the crafts

they can go to things,

but nothing is going to fill that void

in them like spending time with their parents does.

This next tip is to try and remember

that it's not about you.

This has been something that's been such a struggle for me,

I feel like when my kids are acting up or they're screaming,

I can take it personally,

and the thing is, is that they are not

behaving like this to me,

they're not treating me this way,

they're just being toddlers.

Naturally they don't know that the way that they act

affects other people.

My last tip would be to just have fun,

and laugh.

You know, there are going to be temper tantrums

in the grocery store,

there's gonna be an endless pile of dishes in your sink

and this is just one of those seasons of life

that's just gonna be crazy,

but this is the only season of life

when your kids are gonna be little,

so just enjoy this time

and jus try to embrace it.

Love on them, take lots of pictures

and just laugh.

Alright guys, so that is my list

of ways to try to survive taking care of a toddler,

I hope that you enjoyed this video.

Don't forget to come back here tomorrow

for another DIY from Tay.

My personal channel, Jaimie Kight,

will be linked down below for you guys,

so don't forget to go there and subscribe to me as well.

I hope you guys have a blessed day

and I will see you next Monday

on Millennial Moms.