I had a great time last weekend with the parents at the Toddler Tool Belt class. A big thank you to Amy at Giggling Green Beanfor making her amazing store available for classes. There is some seriously cool stuff in there. And next time, I’m going to have to save time to have lunch at the Comfort Cafe a couple of doors down. What a neat concept for a restaurant!

If you missed the class last weekend, you’ve got another chance to catch it on Saturday, February 18 at 1pm. You can register here.

Curious about what to expect? Well, let me tell you a little about it!

I spend a lot of time in the class going over a toddler’s emotional and cognitive development. For example, we discuss why toddlers are so. . . persistent? You know the old saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?” From that point of view, toddlers are certainly insane.

Except, it doesn’t really apply to toddlers. Because even though the first eleventy million times they tried it they fell down, they kept standing back up and trying to put one foot in front of the other. And one day, they walked!

That drive that urges them to try again and again despite failure allows them to do crazy things like stand up and walk across a room. It also allows them to make parents crazy when they go for the light socket for the eleventy millionth time. But, just like every time they try to take a step they get a reaction from you, every time they go for that light socket they get a reaction from you. So they figure they must be on to something!

This is one of the many toddler motivations we cover in the class.

Once we look at the emotional and cognitive forces driving toddler behavior, I give you a formula for evaluating some of the more trying behaviors your toddler may present you with. It’s a method that takes into account your needs and desires as well as your toddler’s needs and desires and then tries to find a solution that meets everyone’s needs.

The class is not about controlling your child. It’s also not about letting your child control you. It’s about finding a balance that recognizes each member of the family as an individual worthy of respect and dignity while honoring the developmental realities of your toddler.

It’s also a great opportunity to chat with other amazing parents about life with a toddler. So come join the fun!