Toddlerhood is a significant time for children. They're reaching various milestones, including walking and talking and starting to explore their world with a real sense of curiosity.

As a parent, it's your job to nurture this development in your little one while establishing boundaries and preventing accidents. Of course, it's easier said than done, but there are specific strategies that you can adopt to encourage good behavior from a toddler. With any luck, you can avoid the "terrible twos" entirely!

Do: Model Correct Behavior

Children often engage in something called observational learning or learning through watching others. It's a behavior that begins in infancy and only grows stronger over time.

What does this mean for you as a toddler mom? First, it means acting calmly and rationally that your child can imitate, especially in volatile situations where something's gone wrong. Rather than getting angry at a temper tantrum, for example, it's a better tactic to keep your cool and model composing non-destructive behavior. Then, even if your toddler can't rationalize the situation as you can, they can internalize what they're seeing and use it as a template for the future.

Don't: Use Negative Psychology or Reinforcement

Disciplining a toddler can be tricky, but experts universally agree that positive reinforcement is better than negative reinforcement. In other words, it's better to reward good behaviors than punish bad ones.

It does not mean that you can't ever enact consequences for misbehaving. Instead, it indicates that punishment for their behavior as a last resort should apply after other choices have been exhausted. Such as talking, providing options, modeling appropriate conduct, diverting their attention to other things, and taking them out of a situation that supports their awful behavior.

Do: Encourage Healthy Habits

It's never too early to build healthy habits. Here are just a few that you can promote in your household:

• Healthy eating or trying new foods with an open mind

• Going through wake-up or bedtime routines that include washing, teeth brushing, and other hygienic necessities

• Reading together, especially if it's a book series for children with encouraging lessons or moral messages

Don't be afraid to incentivize, either. Studies have shown that incentives for positive behavior can be pretty effective with children.

Don't: Overstimulate Your Toddler

Toddlers are experiencing the world in vivid, non-stop technicolor. Everything is new to them. It's good for absorbing knowledge, although it can easily lead to sensory overload or even a sensory processing disorder. Symptoms can range from meltdowns to hyperactivity and mania.

Ensure your child gets a certain amount of downtime to fight with this. Listen to them when they express feelings of fatigue or get tired of a particular place or activity. Don't assume that everything is because of the terrible twos. A toddler's "no" should be respected as much as any other child's "no.”

Do: Take Safety Seriously

Drowning is a leading cause of death for young children, and 87 percent of these drownings happen in a family pool or hot tub. So take every precaution with things like gates, fences, and pool covers.

Car accidents are another source of childhood fatalities. While you can't always prevent them, you can minimize their damage by ensuring that your toddler has a good car seat that's properly secured and positioned.

Other safety considerations for toddlers include the following:

• Suffocation within cribs

• Electrocution from power outlets

• Unintentional poisoning or choking from ingesting things that they shouldn't

Don't: Put Your Child in Bubble Wrap

Accident statistics can be scary, but they shouldn't stop you from letting your child learn, play, discover, and grow. Of course, toddlerhood is incredibly important for child development. But, it's when they start to form infant-parent attachments that can define their whole perception of you as a mom!

Toddlerhood is also the beginning of many critical stages of cognitive development, including:

• Problem-solving

• Cause and effect

• Spatial relationships

• Attention maintenance

• Symbolic play

If you're overprotective, your toddler might not fully master or realize these skills. This is another reason you should plan travels and vacations with your toddler. The journey might be challenging, but you can employ plenty of helpful travel tips to enjoy your vacation while the little one discovers the world. 

How Can You Be a Good Parent to Your Toddler?

Parenthood is one of the most challenging tasks that you can face, especially in your child's turbulent toddler years. But, it's also one of the most rewarding! Use these tips to encourage your little one to grow up happy, healthy, and well-adjusted.