Teaching Your Toddler Good Habits Early On
I don’t think it is ever too early to start teaching your toddler good habits.
As much as we moms don’t want to let go of the baby phase, we must look forward to the next phase in childhood.
Toddlerhood.
And man oh man is toddlerhood truly a treat.
No more immobile, babbling baby you can leave in a bouncer for a few minutes while you make yourself something to eat.
Bring on the independent, walking,
Having a toddler is great.
Whether you wanted one or not, you gain a best friend in tiny
You are their first best friend and as their best friend, you have to look out for them.
Call them out when they are wrong and root for them when they are doing well.
These are the things that you would do with your best friends, but we are also moms, so our responsibility goes even further.
In a recent post, I discussed our responsibility as parents to raise our children to be kind and empathic towards others.
Well, today I want to touch on some other habits that we can start developing in our children as young as 1-year old and what I also do with my daughter who is currently 20 months old.
Here is how you can begin teaching your toddler good habits early on.
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When Should I Begin Teaching My Toddler Good Habits?
Before I get into those good habits to start teaching your toddler, let’s discuss this question.
At what age should I start developing good habits in my toddler?
Well, from what I indicated above, you can start as early as you would like.
I would think that the moment that you should start teaching good habits to your toddler is when they understand what you are saying and somewhat communicate back with you.
Those are good indicators that you can start working with them and developing those good habits that they will need later in life.
For most kids, this is usually around the age of 1.
Usually, at that age, your toddler may be or is walking and beginning to say a couple of words.
With any habit, it takes time to develop and when you are working with children, you have to be patient and be consistent in your approach.
A common factor that you will see in these habits that I discuss is how important it is that we model how we want our kids to act.
So with that being said, let’s get into some good habits that we can teach our children early on.
Teaching Your Toddler Good Habits Early On
Waking Up At The Same Time
The very first good habit you should be teaching your toddler early on is waking up at the same time every day.
Now I am not perfect at doing this every day with my daughter, but I do try.
If you have read my post on the simple things I do every morning as a stay-at-home mom, then you saw where I said that I aim to get up at the same time every morning.
I’m not super strict about it, but the goal should be within 30 minutes of the time you are trying to get up.
Since I do this, I would want my daughter to also get in the habit of doing this.
In my daughter’s toddler routine, she normally gets ups around 8:30 every morning so that is the time that her day will normally start.
With my daughter still in her crib, I can ensure that she gets up around this time every day.
But we are looking to transition her into a toddler bed around her 2nd birthday, so we will have to work on her staying in the bed until it is time to get up.
Once she gets up is when we will move on to the next good habit.
Eating Breakfast
There is a reason that they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Breakfast provides fuel for our bodies right at the beginning of the day after a long night of rest and somehow, it is often the meal that many people will miss.
We may make a habit of missing this meal, but we don’t want to teach our children this same bad habit.
If your toddler is anything like mine, you may not even have this problem.
Mine wakes up ready to chow down.
Now, I don’t make these large breakfasts every morning and I personally don’t think you need to.
Something like some fruit and yogurt or even a couple of slices of bacon and toast will do.
My toddler loves Eggo waffles, so she likes having one of those with a sausage link and she is one happy little human.
Getting Dressed
I know you are probably wondering why on the earth should I get my toddler dressed just for them to get dirty or spill something on themselves?
Because in real life, we wear actual clothes when we go somewhere out in public. Not sleepers, pajamas, or slippers.
But actual shirts, pants, and shoes.
I’m aware that some parents will leave their homes in their pajamas and sweats that they slept in the night before and if that’s you, then do you.
But if you don’t want your child doing the same thing, then you have to model and enforce this idea yourself.
Get your child used to the idea that they have to put on clothes and shoes to get their day started.
They don’t have to be in anything too fancy, but a simple shirt and some pants will do.
As a stay-at-home mom, I make it a point to get dressed and look more put together every day whether I’m leaving the house or not.
Helping Out With Chores
I say help because toddlers are super helpful when they want to be.
They are already following you around the house all day anyway, so why not show them the ropes and let them help you along the way.
After we eat breakfast, I normally do my daily morning cleaning chores such as washing dishes or loading up the dishwasher, and wiping down the counters and her high chair.
Of course, my daughter wants to help so I let her as much as she can.
She can’t help me wash the dishes, but she does like to help me load the dishes and I will give her a dry dishtowel and let her wipe her highchair.
I also let her help with laundry by loading and unloading the washing machine and dryer
All of these mundane tasks that we do every day that we may not like to do, our children are interested in and want to learn more about.
My daughter thinks that these tasks are so cool and while she is doing them, she is also learning about what it means to clean up after herself
How To Act Out In Public
As easy as it is to leave your little one with your significant other or a friend when you are going to the store, try to take them with you every once in a while.
I understand and know that a tantrum might occur, but a meltdown can happen anywhere.
The only way to teach your kid how to act in public is by taking them out in public.
As kids get older, you can show them how money works and how to use a card, but for toddlers, this is simply teaching them how to behave in public.
With it just being me and my daughter the majority of the time, she will likely be with me if I am needing to go somewhere or do something.
So I better get her used to what it means to be out in public and having to engage with other people.
Being Respectful And Having Manners
While we are on the topic of how to behave out in public, another good habit to start teaching your toddler is how to be respectful and demonstrate manners.
And this is only going to come from watching how you as the parent interact with people while you are out.
This can look like you modeling saying thank you to the cashier when they check you out.
Or even simply greeting them when you walk up to the counter.
Even holding the door for someone else to walk in before you show respect and demonstrates manners.
All of these little things that you do when you come into contact with other people show your toddler how they should act when you encounter other people.
Exercising
Toddlers are already energetic and ready to burn some energy, so exercising won’t be too hard to do.
Get them outside if you can and let them run around and I can guarantee you that this will burn off some of that energy and leave them good and ready for a nap.
We like to take family walks in the evening to get some daily exercise.
After these walks, we set up the garage with some of her toys and let her play her little heart out.
She has this Ride-On Scooter from Skip Hop that she can ride on and propel herself around and I highly recommend this scooter because it will eventually convert to a full scooter once she masters how to do it.
It is actually a 3-in-1 scooter made for ages 1-4 years old.
This is perfect for those early walkers all the way up to those advanced walkers which makes it perfect for toddlerhood.
Exercise is great for the body whether you are young or old.
By setting some time aside to move your body, you are modeling the importance of getting exercise.
Participating in Hygienic Practices
Get your kiddos in the routine of participating in hygienic practices very early on so that they understand the importance of it later.
These practices include washing your hands, taking a bath, brushing your teeth, and using the potty.
It is never too
I may have some mommas disagree with me on giving their little ones daily baths and that is ok.
If you find that giving your child a bath every other day work for you, then keep doing you,
I want to mainly emphasize being hygienic in general in this section.
In order to teach them these practices, you have to set them up for success.
This is the time to buy that potty seat to start potty training, a step stool to reach the sink, and a toothbrush to brush those pearly whites that are peeping through those gums.
Reading
Reading is a habit that we should all have, but it has to start early.
If you want your toddler to develop a love for books, you have to incorporate books into their lives.
This means you need to be reading to them.
Show them that books can be fun by reading in a silly voice, singing songs, and acting what the characters in the book are doing.
Not all toddlers love books, you have to show them the fun in books.
We try to read a few books every night before my daughter goes to sleep and this has become a time that she looks forward to in the evening.
Her favorite books at the moment are:
Having A Bedtime Routine
As an adult, I have even found how important it is to have a bedtime routine.
I struggled with postpartum insomnia after my daughter was born and still struggle with it.
By creating a bedtime routine for myself, I have learned how to deal with this issue and now I get much better restful sleep.
If we want the same for our little ones, it starts with creating a bedtime routine.
For my daughter, her bedtime routine looks like this:
This entire process takes about 30 minutes and she has this routine down because we are so consistent with it.
The goal is to start this routine around 8 pm every evening with an 8:30 bedtime.
Safety
And the last good habit you should be teaching your toddler is how to be safe.
For instance, when I’m cooking at home, I let my daughter know that the oven is hot and showed not be touched while I’m cooking.
I also explain that it will hurt if she does touch it.
I know I touched on early teaching your toddler how to act out in public and another thing that you should be showing them is how to be safe out in public as well.
This includes running away from mom, talking to strangers without mom, or running out into the street or parking lot.
These are all dangerous scenarios that we should be teaching our children how to act in so that they can remain safe and unharmed.
Your Turn
Alright now that I how I have been teaching my toddler good habits early on, I want to hear from you. What are some good habits that you all teach your toddler? I would
- Read More: Why You Shouldn’t Bottle Up Your Emotions
Love,
Just Jass
62 Comments
Alisha
I love how you explained that you need to model what you want your kids to do. I was raised with, “Do what I say, not what I do.” My parents are awesome people, but that is definitely not the way to go about it. Great article, thanks!
Jasmyn Wilkins
I think it is the most effective way to really think kids because they are already watching and mimicking us! So glad that you enjoyed this post!
Amy Downes
Great suggestions! I particularly like ‘get dressed’ because at the start of lockdown we were spending a lot more time in PJs but we’ve gotten into a good routine of getting dressed now and it feels so much better
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you and my daughter loves getting dressed so I’m so glad that I got in this habit early! Glad that you enjoyed these suggestions!
Anitha Dsouza
Good one. Very useful
Jasmyn Wilkins
Aw thank you, I’m glad that you enjoyed this post!
Cassie
We try to get some sort of outdoor play in every day possible. It helps so much with little ones’ moods… and mom’s!
Jasmyn Wilkins
Outdoor play is always a win in our household! It does wonders for everyone! Glad that you enjoyed this post!
Natalie
These are all great habits to instill. It’s so important for them to have routine as well as learning the basics such as helping out, good hygiene and exercising.
Jasmyn Wilkins
It really is important! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post!
Katlyn Brown
Great tips! Exercise is so important.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Exercise is really important! Glad that you enjoyed these tips!
Kate
Great tips!!! I admire moms and their abilities to set routines and provide that structure for their children!!!
Jasmyn Heard
Thank you and I feel like routines and structure just make everything so much more easier!
Under Flowery Sky
Love the ideas, specially about respecting the routine. I would love to teach him to spend more time in nature and how to do it..
Jasmyn Wilkins
Yes! We love trying to get our daughter outside every day! Glad that you enjoyed these ideas!
Jessica Collazo
I always go outside with my daughter and take her to play with a big ball. She loves to sing,take flowers and rocks. I try to teach her the names of everything I can find outside so she can associate the real thing with the real name and she’s getting better at it.
Jasmyn Wilkins
I do the same thing with my daughter! It always feels so good to get outside! Glad that you enjoyed this post!
Joanna
We do many of these in our house as well, but it’s nice to see them mentioned elsewhere. Sometimes it can get easy to get into the doldrums of every day abs forget these simple routines are so important for my kids health but also mine. One that I’ve always been strict on is bedtime. I have a 5, 4, 3, and 2 year old. And everyone is in bed at 7. Lights off for the girls and boys get to read or do some Legos/blocks quietly until 7.30 but I need them in there so i can focus on cleaning without all of them running around.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Routines really are important because o the structure they create! And we try to stick our bedtime routine as well so that our nights are that much smoother. I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post!
Constance
Wow, you explained a lot here, this is a helpful posts, I will start implementing this tips once I become a mom.thank you so much. Bookmarked for reference
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you so much and I’m so glad that you found this post to be helpful! Hold onto this when you have kids!
Michelle
I just created a picture schedule for my toddler last week! I found the visuals and knowing what to expect next was the best way to get him listening. He knows what’s coming and how much he has to do before his next favorite activity!
Jasmyn Wilkins
That is such a good idea and one that I would like to implement too! Thank you for your suggestion!
Sweet C
So I’m gonna preface this first by saying that I don’t have any kids right now.
I do remember my mum doing some of the things you mentioned in this post. I always did exercise (ballet) and I was very social when I was little. I did have a “night routine” as well.
Great post! Will send this to some of my friends who are parents or about to be one.
Jasmyn Wilkins
My mom was also good about doing some of these things which is why I try to do this with my daughter. Thank you for sharing with your friends and I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post!
Carol
Omg, I’m so happy I found you! Very useful tips! My baby is 10-month old, but he’s about to walk any time soon! Thank you for sharing your experience 💓
Jasmyn Wilkins
Aw the fun times are coming now! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post!
Julia Hess
I love everything about this post. It is so helpful to start when they are younger and grow up creating good habits. Great share.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you enjoyed this post!
Amanda
Wonderful ideas! My son is 11 months but I cant wait to start creating these good daily habits!
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you so much, I’m so glad that you enjoyed these tips!
SAKrishnan
Lovely suggestion! Great writing. Keep it up!
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you! That means a lot! I’m so glad that you loved these suggestions!
Iva
These are all great habits to teach a toddler.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Thank you, I’m so glad that you agree!
Alexandra
I love this! These things are so important and overlooked by so many people!
Jasmyn Wilkins
AW thank you so much! I’m so glad that you enjoyed these tips!
Pamela
I loveeee this!! One thing I need to work on with all of my kids is waking up at the same time. I don’t get up on time, and they don’t EVER hear their alarm clocks backs! One day!
Jasmyn Wilkins
Lol small steps at a time! I know you have your hands full so baby steps it is! You got this girl 🙂
Monique
I love this Jass! It’s like teaching our toddlers how to be little adults and more independent! I love letting my son participate and practice everything with me! It makes him feel special and I feel good knowing he’s getting more responsibility.
Jasmyn Wilkins
That’s exactly how I feel! They want to be independent anyway so why not try to make it a learning experience for them! I’m so glad that you enjoyed these tips!
Sarah Styf
This has so many good things that I attempted to do with our littles. And they do continue these habits as they get older.
Jasmyn Wilkins
Absolutely! Glad that you enjoyed this post!
Sara
It’s interesting as an adult looking back I feel like structure and routine is probably super beneifical for kids. I often find myself developing routines for myself now as a way of creating structure I never really had so it’s great to teach that to kids young. It’ll help in other areas of their lives I’m sure as they get older! Great post!
Jasmyn Wilkins
I look back as well and realized how much we thrived on some sort of routine as kids. I knew once I had my daughter that I would have to try to have some sort of routine in place and it really does help! She kind of knows what to look forward to each day and it keeps me on track too!
Ana
Wonderful suggestions! I think I survived my kids’ little years because we had our daily routines. It does teach them necessary skills and goes giving them autonomy. I love your approach of mirroring the behavior– they do learn by watching us and do as we do. Thanks for sharing.
Jasmyn Wilkins
They really do learn by watching us and do as we do! Glad that you enjoyed these suggestions!
Nkem
These are great daily habits haha.. for toddlers and adults I think!
Jasmyn Wilkins
These are definitely great for adults too! Hahaha!
Pat M
Great post, tips and ideas! I think for everyone–not just kids (LOL)
I think starting all this when young is best, and practice what you preach!
Thanks for sharing!
Jasmyn Heard
Yes! Starting while they are young is key! Glad that you enjoyed this post!
Emma
These were great tips! I think it’s easy to forget how important routines are, especially when we’re so busy! Thanks!
Jasmyn Heard
You are absolutely right! Glad you enjoyed this post!
Farwah Perveen
Hi! This blog post was very informative and a great read! That tips were very absolutely great!
Jasmyn Heard
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you found this post to be informative!
MyWorldTheirWay
Kids spent a lot of time with their parents and they do what they see. I like that you covered the most important point to model good behavior ourselves first as a parent and kids will eventually follow us.
Jasmyn Heard
Yes absolutely! It’s important that we model what we want our children to do!
Maureen
Oh my gosh, I couldn’t agree more. A routine is such a lifesaver and modeling that for our kids is so important. I didn’t know it back then as a new mom but know it now. It’s essential our little ones have a schedule to know what they need to do and I love that a routine gives them that independence like getting dressed, brushing teeth or even picking up little toys. Plus, seeing mommy or daddy do things a certain way really teaches them behaviors that is not learned through books.
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
Jasmyn Heard
It really does! I really feel that the best way to teach our little ones is to model the behavior ourselves!
Krysten Quiles
This is so smart, definitely sharing this with my brother!
Jasmyn Heard
Yes! Please do!