The Challenges of Parenting a Toddler

Your baby has learned to walk. Congrats! He's officially a toddler. And now that he can walk, he's beginning to explore the world around him which means he's about to get into a whole lot more trouble!

That's just one of the many challenges you will face now that you are the parent of a toddler.

Here are a few of the other challenges of parenting a toddler:

• No, your child doesn't have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Toddlers tend to be control freaks. They express very specific (and often very idiosyncratic) preferences—Don't be surprised if your toddler suddenly insists on eating only yellow foods or wearing his favorite jacket even when it's 90 degrees outside!
• Toddlers are increasingly independent and often insist that they do everything on their own ("Me do it!")—even it's a task they are physically incapable of.
• Toddlers can be strong-willed, stubborn and prone to temper tantrums if they don't get their way (Beware the wrath of a toddler!).
• Toddlers are often easily frustrated if they can't accomplish what they set out to do (again, be prepared for temper tantrums!)
• Toddlers have poor judgment. They don't consider the consequences before reaching out to pet the dog, grabbing a friend's lollipop or climbing on a high counter. Uh oh!

In other words, toddlers can really test your patience—not to mention your nerves. They can be demanding, unreasonable, self-centered and prone to temper tantrums. What fun! But as much as they wear you out, toddlers are playful, silly and full of love. Besides, just as soon as you start to master the toddler stage, they surprise you by growing out of it!