Toddler (18MOS-3 years)

John's Most Recent Articles

Why Hanna Sleeps With Us

Posted 4 weeks ago

My wife, Willie (nee Wilma), and I are the happy caretakers of a happy seventeen-month-old pure white toy schnauzer, Hanna. Hanna occupies the center of our attention. If you spent a day in our...

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Don't Turn Little Issues Into Big Problems

Posted on 4/11/2023

Q: My almost-3-year-old, when I begin to do something, will yell, “I WILL DO IT!” When it’s something he can do, fine, but if it’s not, then I just say, “No, Mommy will do it” and that’s the end...

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Is It Okay for a Toddler to Play With His Food?

Posted on 3/28/2023

Q: Our 22-month-old son has developed a bad habit of spitting out bites of food. The first time it happened, I had set a cup on his tray while he was still chewing a bite of food. He...

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Father Feels Rejected by 18-Month-Old Son

Posted on 3/14/2023

“What have I done to cause my 18-month-old son to reject me?” asks a new dad. Whenever he tries to hold his son, feed, dress, or change him, the child puts up great resistance and screams...

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Toddler Q&A

Posted on 2/14/2023

Q: When we reprimand our 34-month-old daughter for something, anything, she begins to wail like we’re beating her. Whether we firmly redirect or simply say, "No,” she begins to wail like...

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Starting Toilet Training Early Pays Off

Posted on 12/27/2022

Q: My grandmother maintains that her children – my mother and her two siblings, all born in the 1950s – were completely toilet trained at 18 months. Her terse explanation: “I just gave...

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Playing Well With Toddlers

Posted on 11/8/2022

Q: I have two boys, 18 and 33 months. How much time each day should I spend involved in activities with them? Also, they chase one another around the house and other sorts of...

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The Problem With Pull-Ups

Posted on 11/1/2022

I finally tracked down the fellow who invented the so-called “pull-up.” His name is Lucapher (Big Lou) Saytan. Reputedly, Mr. Saytan lives in an underground bunker from which he develops and...

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On Chores, Discipline, Potty-Training

Posted on 3/29/2022

Q: When I give my 5-year-old daughter a chore, she does it, but all the while she is muttering under her breath, huffing and puffing, and so on. Do I discipline that behavior or just let her...

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The Keys to Relatively Quick, Painless Toilet Training

Posted on 1/12/2022

Q: I recently tried toilet training my 32-month-old, but after a few days of no success, I decided to stop. A friend tells me to hang in there, but my pediatrician says my son isn’t ready. She...

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Recent Questions

TODDLER SAYING PLEASE AND THANK YOU

Posted 6 days ago

My son is 20 months old. He says please and thank you sometimes. When he does not I remind him to by saying “say please” or “say thank you” at times he refuses to say it. If he does not say please...

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20 MONTH OLD AGGRESSION

Posted 1 week ago

Hi, I have read and love “making the terrible twos terrific”. I have also read through many of the questions on aggression/defiance but still need some clarification. My 20 month old will bang...

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Teaching Child to Dress/Undress Helps With Potty Training

Posted 2 weeks ago

Hello, we've hit a plateau with potty training. Our 2yr old is accident free when her pants off (thanks to John's method). Introducing underwear and pants is the next step we're having issues...

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Should You Expect Eye Contact from 18 MO?

Posted on 4/3/2023

Hello, my son is 18 months of age. When I am giving him an instruction I usually make him give me eye contact, sometimes he listens sometimes he does not. What age is best to enforce eye contact...

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When To Begin Nighttime Potty Training

Posted on 4/3/2023

What age or when should we implement night training for potty training?

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2 YO ISN'T GETTING THE TOILET TRAINING THING

Posted on 4/2/2023

My 2.4 son has potty trained for 6 weeks and still poops and pees his undies. When talking to him he looks away. We are confused, we use the bell but not enough. If we introduce the gate how can...

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2-Year- Old Potty Training Regression is Normal

Posted on 3/31/2023

Potty trained regression!? Our son turned two at the end of february. We potty trained him exactly how the book says at about 22 months, naked & 75! And he conquered potty training really well in...

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Not getting his way head banger.

Posted on 3/16/2023

Hi, My 18 month old son will bang his head against me when I am carrying him if he is angry or does not get his way. For example after playing outside, I will announce it is time to go inside and...

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3 Year Old Doesn’t Understand Why Chinese Grandma Doesn’t Understand Him

Posted on 3/13/2023

My mother, who speaks Chinese only, finally came to the U.S. to meet the grandkids (3 & 1.5 years) in person. Previous contact was through Facetime only. The 3-year-old boy is verbally pretty...

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Cuddle Time

Posted on 3/10/2023

My son is 2 years and 1 month. For several months, he had been sleeping on his own throughout the night in his own bed without any issue. We place him in his bed, kiss him good night, walk out,...

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Video

Toilet Training Made Stress Free (Webinar Recording)

Posted 3 weeks ago

In 1955, Harvard University determined that nearly 9 out of 10 children were completely toilet trained to the point of being accident-free by 23 months of age. In the 1960s, pediatricians began...

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