Transitioning from baby to toddler

Top recs from your new mom friend 🫶

And just like that, they turn into toddlers! 🥲 And there's a whole new set of things to learn as a parent. Here's what I've got so far, from learning with TWO toddlers in the house.

My #1 resource recommendation for this stage: BIG LITTLE FEELINGS

If it's in your budget, I would HIGHLY recommend the Big Little Feelings online course: Winning the Toddler Stage. It is $99 but I truly think it is worth its weight in gold. You can get a feel for them and their philosophy on their Instagram, where they share tons of free resources and goodness.

• I do not want to "scoop" their course but I will say that their methods, known as gentle or positive parenting, have really resonated with me personally and have REALLY worked with my toddlers. It's an ongoing journey but wow do I feel more prepared with the tools and scripts from their courses.

• If this is not in budget for you, spend some time on their Instagram and website. They offer tons of free insights so you'll be able to get the vibe before deciding to put down any $.

• More on why I love BLF can be found in this post - Mama Meg toddler parenting suggestions

Instagram follow suggestions.

• Parenting style

  • @biglittlefeelings

  • @drbeckyatgoodinside

  • @nurturedfirst

  • @curiousparenting

  • @theconsciouskid

• Food

  • @solidstarts - introduction to solids and baby-led weaning

  • @feedinglittles

• Activities

  • @busytoddler

  • @happytoddlerplaytime

  • @halfway_montessori

  
  

I'd never have guessed before becoming a parent, but there is A LOT of great, free information all over Instagram. As always, take what works for you and ignore what doesn't. We are a "positive parenting" family that aims to be intentional with how we talk to our kids about emotions, food, diversity, body positivity and setting boundaries, with a sprinkle of Montessori in there as well. It's what is working for us today, but it could look different a year from now. And that is just fine by me.

And some book recommendations.

• Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Dougleff, PhD

• Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy

• The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being by Simone Davies

• The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel

• To Raise a Boy: Classrooms, Locker Rooms, Bedrooms and the Hidden Struggles of American Boyhood by Emma Brown

• How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo

• UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba, Ed. D.

• The Memory Making Mom by Jessica Smartt

I'm an unapologetic nerd and love reading. If that's not your thing, or you're literally laughing at me for having the audacity to suggest you have any spare time, that is entirely okay too. Many of these are available on audiobooks and have podcasts by the authors that would break down the key points for you.

Babyproofing your home.

If you haven't done a thorough babyproofing of your home already, now is the time. Here are some of my favorite babyproofing items that we used to secure things around our house.

• Furniture straps - this kit has everything you need to anchor dressers, bookshelves, mirrors, etc.

• Door lever lock - for any doors that you want to keep them from opening (pantry, storage)

• Cabinet locks - we use this on all of our bottom kitchen cabinets & bathroom cabinets

• Child proof door latch - we use this on a door in our son's room that we don't want him to open. You can also use it to keep doors mostly closed but still allow cats to come in to use a litterbox.

• Outlet covers

• Baby gate for stairs - we installed these inside & outside!

Setting up your home for a toddler.

Regardless of whether you subscribe fully to the Montessori method concept, IMHO it's important to set up your home in a way that gives your toddler some independence. Toddlers love control and doing things themselves! Giving them control to do things independently also REALLY helps minimize tantrums.

A few ways we did this in our home:

• Entryway

  • Setting up a stepstool by the door for each toddler to sit on and put on socks and shoes

    • We put a little storage bin underneath that holds all of their socks and hats/gloves

    • Call me boring but we just got two packs socks to start and outside of a couple random pairs for special occasions, that's what our boys wear until they need to size up. So nice to not have to hunt for matches and I promise they do not care!

  • Placing a hat rack at their eye level for hats and jackets when they come in the front door

• Kitchen

  • Designating a low drawer in the kitchen for all of their dishes, so they can access

    • This dish set has been great for us - unbreakable and made of wheat straw instead of plastic

    • Toddler silverware - stainless steel, so it looks like ours (which they of course love)

  • Toddler Tower so toddler can help with cooking, baking, washing dishes - this was a gift for Tripp's 1st birthday from his Birdie & Pop Pop (grandparents)

  • A toddler table where they can sit and eat snacks or play

    • IKEA also has great toddler tables at a good price

  • Age appropriate kitchen tools, only for use with adult supervision:

    • Toddler Knife Set

    • Strawberry Slicer

    • Grape Slicer

• Bathroom

  • Placing a stepstool in his bathroom so he can access the sink to wash his hands

    • Faucet extender helps make this a little easier!

  • Hanging bath towels at eye level, so they can pick the ones they want

  • Moving from changing diapers laying down, to standing up on a bathmat

• Toddler's bedroom

  • Setting up a cube storage shelf so they can reach and pick out their own clothes

    • Anything out of season is out of their reach

    • My mom made labels with pictures & words for each drawer using her Cricut - you could easily DIY this, or check Etsy!

  • Setting up a bookshelf and toyshelf at their level

    • We love these and they've lasted well but I've since learned IKEA has a lot of great options for this type of furniture at better prices

  • Converting his crib to a toddler bed, so he can get in and out by himself

    • I am not linking our toddler bed/crib because Birchlane doesn't make it anymore!

    • Note, the second that you do this, you have to make sure that absolutely every item in your kid's room is safe for them to have access to. Which can feel scary! We have organized all of my boys' toys with this in mind and removed any hazards (i.e. anything with small parts, stuffed animals with hard eyes, toys with batteries, books with button batteries etc.). Anything else is either in the closet (with childlock) or downstairs.

      • Once you're past that part of it, we have LOVED the toddler bed era for both of my older boys. They usually wake up and grab a book or toy and quietly play until we come get them. It's the best!

  • Creating a visual schedule to help demonstrate daily routines. This really helped us before my oldest started at his school, to start practicing this and establishing some consistency on the morning routine.

    • I got this digital one off of Etsy and printed and laminated the pages (laminator from Amazon) and used these velcro dots to put up the individual activities - super easy!

    • We have this hung at their eye level would go through it together each morning and evening. "First, we'll change your diaper, then we'll brush your teeth, then we'll brush your hair, eat breakfast, get dressed and get in Mommy's car to go to school."

    • Repeating this often REALLY helps - toddler brains crave consistency

More Mama Meg Toddler parenting suggestions

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Your friendly reminder that this blog is not medical advice! This blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if they seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment for you or your family.

Affiliate Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will be compensated if you click through and take action. These are all items that I purchased with my own money, or was gifted from my registry, so please know I am only recommending things I truly use.