Toddler Care: Potty Training, Sleep Habits & Development

Guiding toddlers requires mastering potty training methods, establishing sleep routines, and monitoring linguistic and physical growth milestones.

Toddler girl with curly hair wearing colorful shirt having breakfast

How to Get Toddlers to Start Chewing Their Food

As your toddler starts to transition from purees to whole foods, choking can be a concern. In addition to ensuring your child’s food is cut or torn into small enough bites, you should also teach him to chew thoroughly and properly, such as chewing with his mouth closed.

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Can Diet Cause Yellow Feet & Hands in a Toddler?

As a parent, you'll treat a number of fevers and upset tummies in your children but most parents are uncertain what to do when their child’s hands and feet turn a peculiar shade of yellow. In general, discolored palms in children are typically nothing to worry about.

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Child creeping in sandbox

Should You Be Worried if Your Toddler Eats Dirt?

Anyone who has spent time with toddlers knows their propensity for putting anything and everything in their mouths. It's natural for a young child to explore his world by tasting different items. Some researchers suggest the practice is evolutionary.

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Face Blisters on a Toddler

Your toddler may develop blisters on her face for a variety of reasons, from chicken pox to impetigo or the Coxsackie virus. While rashes on the face are common for young children and may have causes as benign as excessive drooling, blisters on the face typically indicate a viral or bacterial infection.

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Reasons a Todder Could be Tired When Waking from a Full Night's Sleep

Most toddlers wake up brimming with energy and ready to start jumping on the couch the minute they wake up. If your toddler normally fits that pattern but suddenly wants to lie on the couch all morning instead after what seems to have been a good night's sleep, you may be — and should be — concerned.

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child blowing his nose

How to Decrease Mucus Drainage in a Toddler

Increased mucus drainage in toddlers could be the result of an allergy, a viral infection such as a cold or flu, or a bacterial infection, such as sinusitis. The mucus drainage may present as a runny nose or the mucus can drain down the back of the throat and cause a sore throat and coughing.

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salted cucumber

Should Toddlers Eat Pickles?

It wasn't too long ago when your toddler was eating the softest, purist foods you could supply, but now that she and her appetite are expanding, it's a good idea to ask which new foods are appropriate and which aren't for her young, growing body.

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Black ants

What Should You Do for an Ant Bite on a Toddler?

Ant bites, though not as common as spider or mosquito bites, can cause redness, localized swelling and in rare cases, an allergic reaction. Teach young children to steer clear of ant piles and clean any bites immediately to avoid infection.

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Mixed Race Toddler Girl is Angry and Crying

How to Treat a Toddler Who Bit His Tongue

Mouth injuries are common for toddlers learning to walk and maintain balance. A fall can drive new teeth into the tongue and form a laceration. First aid is the same for children as it is for adults, but it's more difficult with a crying toddler. The goals are to control bleeding, reduce swelling and prevent infection.

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little girl eating a banana in summer outdoors

What Can My Toddler Eat When She Is Throwing Up?

Your toddler may contract a gastrointestinal virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Most of the time, these viruses pass within a couple of days and can be treated at home. The most important consideration is to keep your toddler well-hydrated by offering clear fluids in small amounts for the duration of the illness.

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Mother and daughter reading

How to Identify Your Child's Strengths & Weaknesses

Albert Einstein said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." This observation is never truer than when raising children. Each child has a different set of strengths and weaknesses.

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Toddler boy sleeping

How to Help Toddlers with Stuffy Noses Sleep

As your toddler grows, he is more likely to touch and explore everything. As a result, your child is probably more likely to catch a cold. Toddlers are also more likely to become sick during the fall and winter or if you have school-aged children at home.

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A girl playing outside

How to Slow Down a Hyper 2-Year-Old

Toddlers are naturally curious and energetic, often much to their parent's chagrin. Your 2-year-old's whirlwind personality means you're constantly on the go and chasing after your tiny ball of energy. Still, it's likely your pediatrician won't be alarmed. Hyperactivity disorders aren't typically diagnosed until age 4.

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Baby girl (18-24 months) looking in mirror, hands pressed on glass

Toddler Development at 21 Months Old

Pediatricians measure a child's growth not only by weight and height but also by skills mastered. These skills often develop at predictable ages and go by the term developmental milestones. Toddlers have a wide range of normal, according to the BabyCenter website.

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Boy, eating watermelon in the garden, summertime

Can a Toddler Have Too Much Fruit?

You’re probably relieved if your toddler requests fruit for a snack rather than junk food, but if fruit is all she eats, your toddler might not get other nutrients vital to her growth and development. Fruit contains essential vitamins and minerals that keep your child healthy. The U.S.

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Little Boy In The Park

When Does a Toddler Cut Molars?

Teething in babies varies widely, but most children cut their first teeth between the ages of 4 and 7 months. After the first tooth pokes through, parents play the waiting game to determine when the rest of the pearly whites will make their appearance.

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baby sitting in her crib

Walking Pneumonia in Toddlers

A Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, more commonly known as "walking pneumonia," is a mild form of pneumonia that can affect people of all ages, including toddlers. The disease is not common in children under 4, unless your toddler is in preschool or daycare programs.

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Mother taking sick daughter's temperature

How to Care for Toddlers With Pneumonia

Contact your toddler’s pediatrician immediately if you suspect he has pneumonia. Pneumonia symptoms include fever, cough, chills, rapid breathing, nasal flaring, chest pain, wheezing and nasal congestion. In severe cases, your toddler’s fingernails and lips may turn a bluish gray color.

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What Does Drooling Mean in a Toddler?

Drooling is the unintentional escape of saliva or other substances from the mouth. Drooling can be a messy business for parents with lots of laundry on the horizon. Your child drooled as a baby and continues as a toddler, past the point at which you though he would stop.

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