Babies Can’t Keep

You made it! Through twelve months of many leaps, a lot fewer sleeps, and at least one weep, you’ve been the parent of a human being. Allow us to now welcome you to the next phase of parenthood: parenting a Toddler.

Your baby will always be your baby. But, the fact is, they’re moving on up in the world! As you’ve seen over the last year, your little one’s brain and body develops at an astonishing rate, and for awhile here, that doesn’t stop. By this time in just two short years, you’ll be looking at a walking, talking opinion machine who really needs you to look at something right now.

So, how can you prepare for the toddler stage as you move out of babyhood? Here are some of our best Mom-tested tips to help you transition to the wild and wonderful toddler years.

1. If you haven’t already, use this first birthday to set up a college savings account for your child. Even though it’s 17 years away—and you don’t know what their educational plans may be!—the time to start in order to maximize the return is today! Consider asking family to contribute toward the initial investment in a 529 College Savings Plan instead of buying first birthday gifts that your kiddo won’t remember, likely doesn’t need, and for sure take up valuable real estate in your living room or nursery. With an initial investment of $2500 and a monthly contribution of $260 a month until they graduate high school, they’ll have about $100,000 to use for school once it’s time.
2. Get to yapping. That’s right, if you aren’t already naming and showing every single thing all the time, go ahead and begin that now. Everything from turning on a light switch to opening a car door handle is riveting stuff for these little language sponges. Naming/showing items to toddlers is like sitting us down and letting us watch the entire season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives all in one go (which is to say, ab.so.lute.ly. ENTHRALLING.) This helps language development a great deal and is a wonderful way to be engaging and connect with your toddler.
3. There will be times in a multiparent household where you’re the favorite. And…there will be times when you’re not the favorite. This is totally normal developmental stuff and isn’t a reflection of how much your toddler loves, likes, or enjoys you. It can be so hard not to take this perceived rejection to heart (especially parents with ADHD, who may experience Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria) But we hope that preparing for this now can help you see it for what it is when it happens: a stage that will fade.
4. Find a Hand-Me-Down Buddy. Ideally you have one older (to receive clothes from) and one younger (to give clothes to) born in the same season of the year so that your items make sense for the time of year as the kiddos grow. This is one of life’s greatest cycles and we cannot recommend this enough: good hand-me-down buddies are worth their weight in gold.

We are doing a Staff Webinar Takeover this Wednesday, wherein our own Kate Elise and Margaret Mason Tate discuss and lament how Babies Don’t Keep. Click here to register for that webinar AND receive immediate access to all our other webinars.