Toddler

Question: When did your toddler start sleeping in a toddler bed? My daughter is 2 1/2, and well overdue for a toddler bed, Im sure ( my niece is the same age, and has been in a twin bed for over a year) just wondered what age seemed the norm. for that transition. She just started climbing out of her crib last night.

Answer: I think that the transition is different from child to child. Our son started climbing out of his crib at 20 months so we had to put him in a regular bed so he wouldnt kill himself. Our daughter LOVED her crib and did NOT want to go to the toddler bed. If you have room, this is what we did. We put up the toddler bed in her room and had her sleep in it for a few days during naps. She didnt like it much but eventually relented. Then we had her in the room with us while we took the babybed apart(we even let her unscrew some of the screws-she thought this was big fun-and let her watch us take the babybed down. We made a big deal about the toddler bed and she transitioned very well. I do think if the child is climbing out of the crib, it is a sign that it is time, mainly for safety reasons. Good luck.

Question: What time does you toddler wake up in the morning? I have a 17 month old toddler who wakes up at 6am every morning. She goes to bed at 7pm every night and sleeps through with no problems, but I have friends whose toddlers sleep until 8am. I just wondered how long your little ones sleep? Thanks!

Answer: I have a 23 month old who we used to put down at 6pm and she woke up at 6am but we now keep her up till 7pm and she sleeps till 7pm so seems she sleeps for 12 hours ish so maybe try putting your toddler down to sleep later it may work for you to .

Question: What happens when a toddler transitions from a crib to a toddler bed? We have a toddler bed all ready for him, it's in storage. It has railings built in all around the whole thing (as it is meant to be a top bunk bed). Will he get up in the middle of the night and play with his toys and go lay back down in his bed? Will he hurt himself trying to get out of bed since he will have to climb over the railings? Sometimes he will wake up at like 5am, talk and talk, then fall back asleep so I'm curious.

Answer: It is different for every child. The first few times mine slept in his bed were pretty rough...I was wondering if we'd ever sleep again. It took him well over an hour to fall asleep because he kept getting up. Within 3 days, he had adapted to it. He has never gotten up in the middle of the night to do anything, but he doesn't have any of his toys in his room. The one nice thing is that when he wakes in the morning he grabs a bunch of books and lays in his bed and looks at them...this give me some extra time to sleep!

Question: What are the main characteristics of a toddler boy? For example, I have a toddler boy that is about to turn two in less that two weeks. He is very aggressive, macho. Rather than hugs he would rather get on my belly and jump up and down, he's so rambunctious is this normal toddler behavior for a boy. My main question is what are the typical characteristics of a toddler boy and should I be concerned that he is so independent and not really affectionate toward me. I guess I am concerned that I have not nurtured him enough.

Answer: My son is 17 mos, and he's rambunctious. He like's to play alone, he gives kisses but most times you have to take them from him :) He likes to bodyslam the pillows and his dad. It's normal, as long as he's happy. Toddlers like to run, slam, throw, jump, and get dirty, it's all good. Be thankful he's not as needy as other kids are!

Question: When should I change my toddler from sleeping in a crib to a toddler bed? My son will be 2 in January and for his birthday I would like to get him a toddler bed and change his room into a big boy room. I'm not sure at what age it is good to do this. I would also like to know the best way to go about the conversion and how to get him comfortable in his new room. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer: my daughter's crib converted to a "toddler bed" (one side of the crib is modified to have an opening in the middle and shorter rails at the corners). Shes been in it since 10 mos and never fell out. She is 16 months now and will climb in by herself and get out by herself. I quickly learned to just turn off the lights and shut the door. I hear my daughter playing sometimes and other times she will get out and bang on the door and cry but after she realizes its really bed time she gets in her bed and goes to sleep. As long as your son isn't a wild sleeper and will not roll out of the bed I don't see why you cant switch him now. The best way may be to keep the old bed in his room and put the new bed in there too. start putting him in the new bed for naps then tell him its time for night time too. If you think he may be ready then try to get him excited about it by just talking to him about it, taking him shopping for the bed and new room stuff then have him "help" you set up the new bed and take out the old one. as long as you make it sound exciting he will love it. have a new bed party or something, lol.

Question: How did your toddler do with teething during the canines? The four fang teeth in the front, the last of the teeth to come in before the 2 year molars? Bradley is 17 months old and the poor thing is getting in all 4 canines at the same time! He hasn't slept a good night's sleep in two weeks, he wakes up everday from his nap with a fever and drooling and he's is grinding his teeth constantly. He calls his medicine (ibuprophen) "satin" and constantly whines that he wants "satin" which tells me he is pain a lot (I try to only give him it at night). When did your toddler get their canines and how did they do with them? Any suggestions for helping the little guy? Orajel is useless and he hates frozen washclothes. Very Proud Mommy: I ALMOST felt stupid.....until I made sure I WAS right about calling them canines. Primary Teeth Development Chart Upper Teeth When tooth emerges When tooth falls out Central incisor 8 to 12 months 6 to 7 years Lateral incisor 9 to 13 months 7 to 8 years Canine (cuspid) 16 to 22 months 10 to 12 years First molar 13 to 19 months 9 to 11 years Second molar 25 to 33 months 10 to 12 years Lower Teeth Second molar 23 to 31 months 10 to 12 years First molar 14 to 18 months 9 to 11 years Canine (cuspid) 17 to 23 months 9 to 12 years Lateral incisor 10 to 16 months 7 to 8 years Central incisor 6 to 10 months 6 to 7 years

Answer: My daughter is getting her canines in right now, 3 came in at the same time, and she's working on the 4th one. Have you seen the orajel swabs? They are a little easier to apply to the gums, if that is your problem. You can also try frozen treats, such as popsicles. Frozen gummy bears work well for my daughter, but you have to be careful with them, since they are a choking hazard. The frozen washcloth never worked for her, either. Infant tylenol is very safe for them, and there is nothing wrong with giving it to them every 4 hours, especially if they are in that much pain.

Question: How long are babies in a toddler bed? I am considering purchasing a toddler size quilt. I realize I can use this in the crib and then use it in the toddler bed (when I transition from the crib to the bed). The crib converts into a toddler bed with the same size mattress. What I want to know is how old children are when they are too big/too tall to fit in the toddler bed and need a regular twin bed. I am trying to figure out how many years worth of use I will get out of this quilt before it is too small. The quilt would be too small for a twin bed but perfect for a toddler bed.

Answer: 4-5 years old depending on the childs growth. My six year old could easily still fit in toddler bed, but she is very small for her age. However, I did find that my kids slept better in a twin bed. The plastic toddler mattress wasn't as comfortable as a twin and it squeaks because of the plastic. We moved our three year old to a twin bed for her third birthday and she has done great and sleeps like a rock.

Question: How does your toddler behave at the doctor? Is your toddler cooperative when the doctor wants to stick the probe in his/her ear? Is the nurse able to do an accurate height measurement or does your baby squirm? How about the flashlight in the eye? Shots? Do tell.

Answer: MY 18 MONTH OLD ACTS LIKE HE IS LOSING IS MIND

Question: What is the law about leaving a toddler alone in a car in Illinois? My daughter attends a very nice preschool in illinois. There is a woman with a 2 year old that constantly leaves her in her van to go get her other daughter. The toddler is always unbuckeled and sometimes is even eating snacks that can easily be choked on. The toddler plays with all the cars controls and the whole situation can be potentially harmful. What is the law? The school is not a quick pick up, you wait in a line with 36 other parents and go down 2 long halls, the vehilcle isn't even in sight!

Answer: It is illegal and irresponsible. You might even try gently saying something to her, maybe she is to unmindful to think anything about it. I saw this happen in a parking lot in Atlanta, Georgia with a ten day old baby in a Lincoln Navigator. The mother was absent for 30+ minutes. We called the police, because who knows maybe someone abducted the mother. When the police arrived the mother still had not returned, they sent one policeman into the stores nearby to look for her and the firefighters were about to break the car window to get the baby out, when they located the mother three stores down at a stationary store. She said she lost track of time, and didn't think it was a problem. The baby was only ten days old mind you. Needless to say, she got arrested, taken to jail, and charged with a felony. Her sister had to be called to come and take the baby home, because she was too embarrassed to call her husband. The police officers said they take this matter very seriously and that it enrages them to see this occur so often. The moral of the story is absolutely never leave your child unattended in a vehicle, it is not worth the consequences that could occur to them or you.

Question: What age did your toddler stop taking naps during the day? My son is nearly 18 months old now, for the past few weeks he hasn't wanted to have a nap during the day (well only on the odd few days). This seems was quite an early age to grow out of naps, what age was your toddler when they stopped? Thanks

Answer: its normal for toddlers not to want to take a nap at all cuz they are afraid they'll miss somthing interesting while they are asleep. problem is this can make them quite miserable for the rest of the day. my niece is 16 months old and she still takes a nap from 10am-12pm and then from about 4pm-5pm. (she may be the odd one out cuz she actually enjoys laying down and taking a nap lol). if your son is being crabby when he doesn't take a nap them i'd make sure to lay him down even if he doesn't want to and leave him for a while. even if he doesn't actually go to sleep he will at least chill out for a while and then he won't be crabby. if he seems fine without a nap then perhaps he is just ready to do away with naps. every child is different.

Question: What is the best way for a toddler to sleep on a plane? I will be soon travelling alone internationally with my 16 month old daughter. She will be on my lap. When she was a baby, she could sleep in an airplane bassinet during flights, but now she won't fit. I am wondering, how can I make her sleep longer and more comfortably on my lap? What position would you recommend? She's a bit of a fussy toddler, so I expect it may be hard to put her down. Also, any other life-saving tips for toddler air travel?

Answer: the people who said give your baby benedryl before the flight got a lot of thumbs down, but it really wont hurt. I wasn't too crazy about that idea when I was going to fly with my son at that age for the 1st time so I asked his pediatrician if that's ok. He said yes its totally fine and they told me exactly how much to give. It goes by weight, so to keep your sanity you may want to try it. It wont hurt her, unless she's one of those freakish kids who has the opposite reaction to benedryl and bounces off the walls. toys work for a little bit but cramming a toddler into a small space like an airplane seat confined to your lap.....youre going to want her asleep. As far as what position...I asked the flight attendant for a pillow and then i opened up the little tray in front of me, put the pillow on it and my lap...his head was on my lap his legs up on the tray part. it was a 5 hour flight and most of it went smooth since he was sleeping. When he was awake he kept trying to get off my lap and was kicking the giant guy next to us :)

Question: What age is too late for a toddler to learn a second language? Does anyone know of any other DVD's or something that I can show my toddler so that he can learn spanish? I do not know any language but English, but I want my son to be bilingual. The only thing that he watches now that has a little bit of spanish is Dora and Diego, but that isn't enough to be fluent. Can anybody give me some advice on how I can have my toddler fluent in the English and Spanish language? FYI: My son is a year and a half old.

Answer: Wuzzy. THat is a good program to learn second and more languages. I was told children can learn other languages easier if taught from birth to six or seven.... but can still learn older, it is just a little tougher.

Question: What happens if a toddler drinks milk that has been left out overnight? My toddler found a sippy cup left over from yesterday that had some chocolate milk in it. I looked for it yesterday and didn't find it, but of course, he found it first thing this morning and drank some of it (I don't know how much) before I realized and took it away from him. I know it was bad because it has been sitting out for many hours. Now I don't know what to do. It's Sat so I can't call his dr. Any help?

Answer: I doubt that it will do anything to him but MAYBE give him a stomach ache. It's not going to poison him, though, if that's what you're asking. Just keep an eye on him, and see if he develops a loss of appetite or diarrhea. He will probably be fine, though.

Question: How do I get my toddler to stop wanting a snack every hour? On nice days when we can go outside or if we have errands to run my toddler has no problem going from breakfast to lunch with only one small snack. But on yucky days or on days we have no plans he's pulling at the frig or pantry door every hour. What am I doing wrong or is this normal "I'm bored" behavior?

Answer: You shouldn't try to get him to stop wanting snacks. Even an adult will eat when they are bored. But what you CAN do is monitor the snacks that you give him. On a rainy day you can't let him eat cream filled chocolate cakes all day, but you can give him as much fruit as he can eat. If the fruit is ripe and juicy, he won't get enough. give it a try

Question: What do you tell a toddler's parents when they are getting bit in a childcare center? Biter:sensory issues? I am a toddler 2 teacher (ages 20-30 mth.) and I have conferences tomorrow. What can I tell a parent whose child, like other children keeps getting bit by another child in our room. The biter has possible sensory integration issues, with divorcing spanish-at-home speaking parents. I truly believe the biter does not have a huge behavioral issue, rather developmental disabilities. What do I say?

Answer: The parents should have been informed the day the incident happened. Regardless of the problem, it isn't an issue for the kids being bitten, it is an issue for the parents of the biter. It doesn't matter why the child is biting: even though we feel for the child, he is a hazard to the other children and should be removed from the center. If I found out that my child was being bitten by on a regular basis and nothing was being done, my child wouldn't remain there.

Question: Where can I find good toddler and adult costumes for reasonable prices? Where can I find good toddler and adult costumes for reasonable prices? I need a costume for me and nephew and niece.

Answer: http://www.adultsizecostume.com/ http://www.toddlercostumeideas.com/ Secret: - if you order one of the costumes by Monday Oct 12th you can save 10% with coupon code scary10