If your toddler is a high-energy kid, restless all the time or can even get to the top of the refrigerator as Mary Sheedy Kurcinka describes, he/she is a “spirited” child. All toddlers say ‘no,’ too, but a spirited child’s ‘no’s!’ are louder and more frequent, his tantrums longer-lasting and more intense.

Although spirited kids are a challenge, Kurcinka suggests there are ways to handle daily battles and teach your toddler to learn to control himself/herself. Amongst Kurcinka’s tips, I think the last one is the most important - Take care of yourself. Find some time for yourself to get refreshed and recharged for another day’s battles:

You may find it difficult, if not impossible, to announce that you need more time for yourself. But the house doesn’t have to look perfect and the dinners don’t have to be gourmet. If it’s already midnight and you’re exhausted, leave the dishes in the sink. Rest or take a bubble bath when your child naps instead of vacuuming the living room. Take full advantage of your time at night after your toddler goes to sleep to connect with your partner or a friend, or to do some relaxing activity on your own.

Have a nice and enjoyable weekend!

How to handle your spirited toddler[Lifestyle.msn.com]

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This entry was posted on Saturday, April 8th, 2006 at 9:08 pm and is filed under 02-03 yrs: Toddler, Behavior, Discipline, How-to Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.