Show Me What I CAN Do!
I am so busy exploring, wanting to touch everything, you will be stopping behaviors I cannot do because I might break something or I might get hurt. Remember to also teach me what I can do. When you stop a…
Ideas for Setting Limits
It might be helpful for you to know three easy steps in setting limits for me. (1) Stop the behavior. For example, firmly take my hand and tell me in a serious voice: “No hitting. Hitting hurts.” It is important…
How I Learn to Regulate My Emotions
I am getting so big! Sometimes it might be hard to remember that I am still little, and still learning how to control my emotions. I need to learn how to regulate my emotions in order to follow rules and…
Help Me with New Rules and Limits
Age-appropriate rules let me know what to expect, which helps me to feel safe, secure, and in control. It is important that you set limits and are consistent in enforcing rules with me now. You can help me cope with…
When I Go Back to Earlier Behaviors
When I go back to earlier behaviors, such as wanting a bottle again after I have been drinking from a cup, or refusing to use the potty after I have been successful at potty training, I may be saying, “All…
When I Look Sad or I’m Clingy
I may be saying, “I feel tension. Something is going on.” or “I’m trying to understand what’s going on and feel a little in control of my life.” You can help me by offering simple, clear words for what is…
When I Push You Away, then Cry
When I do things you don’t understand, like push you away then cry for you, I may be saying, “I miss my parent who is away, and I worry that you will leave me too.” I worry that my parent…
When I Fuss When You Say Good-Bye
If I cry, kick, scream when you leave, even if it’s only for an hour and I’m with someone I know and like, I may be saying, “I need you. I depend on you. I’m afraid you are going to…
When I Share I’m Missing My Parent
When I share that I am missing my deployed parent, I may be saying, “I need something to remind me of Daddy. It helps me feel safe and close to him.” You can help keep connections strong at home: bathe…
When I Look Overwhelmed
I may be saying, “There is so much going on!” You can help me by keeping my routine the same, as much as you can. This will help me to know what comes next. Even if we aren’t at home,…
When I Am Fussy or Won’t Stop Crying
I may be saying, “I am feeling out of sorts, off my routine.” Or I may be saying, “I feel tension in the house.” I may simply be saying, “My body is growing and changing and I am extra sensitive…
When I Hit or Bite
I may be saying, “Sometimes I’m angry,” or “I have so many feelings inside and no words for them that I lose control.” What you can do to support me is stop me firmly and gently. Tell me “It’s not…
When I Go Back to Earlier Behaviors
When I go back to earlier behaviors, such as wanting a bottle again after I have been drinking from a cup, or refusing to use the potty after I have been successful at potty training, what I may be saying…
When Parent Reminders Make Me Sad
I may be saying that sometimes I need a break from thinking about the separation, and I have other things to think about and do. To support me, please understand that my need for “staying-connected” activities may change from day…
If I Act Afraid of My Returning Parent
When I cry, hesitate, pull away from/act afraid of my parent who has just come home, what I may be saying is, “I need time to get to know you again and to feel safe and at ease with you.”…
If a Lot of Noise Makes Me Upset
When I cry and get fussy when there is a lot of noise and/or people around, I may be saying, “It is upsetting—hard for me to take it all in.” You can support me by keeping my daily routines consistent.…