daisy asked:


I have a 2 year old son and have been potty training him for a few months now, but it seems like such a long process. He only goes to the potty when I tell him to. I hope to have him potty trained by the time he is 3 years old. Any potty training tips?

Vikram kuamr asked:


While your child is still in his or her infant years, she will need a constant change of wardrobe. At this age, the growth spurt of babies is fast and they will tend to outgrow their clothes quickly. It is also at this age that other family members, friends, and relatives stop giving baby gifts. This means that you will have to buy toddler clothes on your own. You cannot depend on other people anymore to provide your baby with garments. When shopping for baby clothes, there are several things that you have to consider. This will help you save up on expenses and find outfits that are comfortable and safe for your infant or toddler.

 

There are several styles and designs of children’s clothing that are available in the market. This is the reason why you have to choose carefully, in order for you to find clothes that are suitable for your kid. The first essential factor that you have to consider, when browsing through clothing, is the safety of your baby. When it comes to baby-friendly clothing, there are many considerations that you have to remember. One of these is the fabric of the toddler clothes. Make sure that the texture is not rough on your baby’s skin. What is more, it should allow your kid to breathe easily and not sweat much. The most recommended fabric or clothing material for babies is cotton, which is very soft and comfortable.

 

Another safety aspect regarding children’s clothing is the lack of buttons, cords, and other clothing parts that lead to choking hazards. In nature, babies do not know what they are doing. They are not aware that if they put something inside their mouth that they cannot chew, they will choke. There is a likely that if you buy baby clothing that has buttons, your kid will keep on pulling it and stick it inside his or her mouth. On the other hand, there is a possibility that your infant will end up winding the cord around his or her neck accidentally. This is also another type of choking hazard for your kid.

 

Toddler clothes should not have elastic bands or tight waistlines, since these will lead to skin problems. The most common are skin rashes or skin irritation. This is because of the band that imprints on the skin of your toddler or infant. It is for a fact that the skin of children is soft and very sensitive. This means that they are prone to rashes and irritation each time something rough or tight comes into contact with their skin. On the other hand, you should buy children’s clothing that does not have tight necklines. Opt for clothes that have low-cut neckline since these allow easy breathing for your infant.

 

Another shopping tip that you have to remember is to look for toddler clothes that are not that expensive. Since you will be constantly buying garments for growing baby, you need to opt for cheaper clothes. This way, baby clothing will not take a huge chunk out of your income. There are plenty of places, where you can shop for affordable children’s clothing. If you are not particular with letting your baby wear hand-me-downs, you can go to rummage sales or garage sales. Or else, you can check out thrift shops, where you can buy quality clothing for low prices. However, your best option is to visit online retailers of babies’ clothing and other baby stuffs.

 

Fiona Lohrenz asked:


 

Dealing with ‘No’ at Day Care

We all know the scenario…. toddler hears the word ‘no’ many times, toddler ignores the word ‘no’, toddler learns the word ‘no’, toddler thinks saying the word ‘no’ is absolutely hilarious, the word ‘no’ becomes apparently ineffective and provider is at wits end! Enunciating the word ‘no’ is easier than saying ‘yes’, add that to the fact that kids tend to hear ‘no’ a lot more frequently and you get a perfect recipe for this seeming negativism.

Toddlers are experimenting with their developing personalities, identities and emerging independence and tend to use this strong, simple yet popular word to demonstrate their individualism.  ‘No’ becomes a declaration of separateness and will be directed at everything and everyone.  How to counter this negativism?  While rules and boundaries are necessary we should try to limit the authoritarian directives, redirect behaviors and save the ‘no’s for when they are absolutely essential.  ‘No’s are vital for health and safety issues but too many can be stifling for a child and they will rebel or simply ignore all those overwhelming rules.

Avoid arbitrary rules - ‘don’t do that because I said so’ instead offering a rationale - ‘don’t put your fingers in the door jam because they’ll get chopped off!!’.  Explaining the reasons for your rules to kids helps them to understand why they exist thus making it easier to follow them.  Don’t anticipate bad behavior (even though you have a fairly good idea that George is about to spill his juice), wait until it has happened before you yell ‘no’ otherwise you are simply filling your days with unnecessary ‘no’s.  Try to offer positive suggestions - ‘Let’s paint this nice card for mom’ is more likely to have a positive effect than ‘Don’t paint on the table’.

Offer alternatives to off limit items so that when a child reaches for the teacher’s scissors you can say ‘here, this curly straw is for you’ or allow participation in certain things under supervision.  When you say ‘no’ mean ‘no’.  You may be tired and wrung out but you must be firm and consistent - kids can spot a feeble, distracted ‘no’ from a mile off.  Remember also, you are the adult, you are in charge, you are in control.  Remain calm, don’t respond with anger and never plead.  A calm ‘no’ is the most authoritative and effective.  And finally, always praise good and positive behavior.  In a sea of ‘no’ the tiniest ripple of compliance should be acknowledged and rewarded.

I drop in on a child care providers discussion forum from time to time and make comments/suggestions if I feel I can be of help (or just want to join in on a rant!!).  Recently, one of the providers had a terrible ongoing problem with a chid who was wilfully destroying her property i.e. toys, day care equipment and furniture.  The parents laugh it off, ask the child to say an empty ‘I’m sorry’ and offer no discussion nor action for remedy.  As you can imagine this poor lady is at her wits end.  To date the child has deliberately destroyed over $200 worth of items.  All too often day care providers can be faced with very delicate situations when handling difficult behavior in a child.

Difficult and challenging behaviors can be a tough fact of day care life.  The reasons for said behaviors can be various but all need to be dealt with from the outset in a firm and consistent manner.  When it becomes clear that a child is being continuously disruptive, destructive and aggresive it is time to ‘meet the parents’.  Dealing successfully with any challenging behavior necessitates parental cooperation.  Discussion will uncover if similar behavior occurs in the home, if there is a root cause that can help all parties better understand the triggers and reasons for the behavior.  Most importantly though, the parent/provider meeting will ensure that a mutual behavior plan is on the table and everyone is on the same page. It is pointless if you are being consistent and constructive in your handling of the child if the same positive actions are not dealt out at home.

Use your behavior policy (you do have one right??) as an outline for formulating an individual plan.  Ensure that you put in place a time frame for implementation and a deadline for reevaluation.  It is helpful also to include in your parent handbook/contract details of situations where parents will be expected to cough up for ‘over the top’ damages caused by their child.  Insert also your ‘end of tether’ clause where you would be forced to ask a client to withdraw their child due to ongoing issues and lack of cooperation/communication. Don’t forget, sometimes professional, outside help is required….that does not indicate failure on the part of either the provider or parent.  It is simply the best way forward in some cases.

 

Paul Banas asked:


Toddlers are prone to ailments easily and frequently. However, they also tend to recover rather quickly once given proper treatment.

Some of the common ailments that are likely to attack your toddlers include fever, skin infections, cough/cold, dental problems etc. You can treat minor ailments by yourself with the help of a well-stocked medicine chest. However, please note that serious and prolonged ailments would require the attention of a qualified physician.

If your toddler is sick with cold, you may try the following tips to help overcome the illness:

• Apply a balm or petroleum jelly around the nostrils to provide relief and reduce irritation

• Give your toddler a steam bath

• Use a moist piece of cloth to wipe your toddler’s running nose dry

• Consult a doctor if symptoms persist for too long

If your toddler is sick with fever, you may try the following tips to help overcome the illness:

• Use a thermometer to find out the temperature your toddler is running

• If your toddler’s temperature is 100° F or less, keep watching for signs of fever occurring periodically and not continuously – if the fever occurs periodically, consult your doctor

• If your toddler’s temperature is more than 100.4° F, consult your doctor

Features advice from experienced dads on parenting, pregnancy, adoption, child development, and on raising kids and teens.

Elise Rogers asked:


Many people hold the belief that every child needs a dog. Though this article is not about the benefits of dogs to children, it is about how children can help dogs. When children are young, they often express a desire to their mommies that they want to help. They want to be a big kid and help mom with the dishes, the laundry, and even taking care of the dog! Here are a few ways children can help care for the family pet.

First and foremost, it is important to know the age appropriateness of tasks for children as they are related to caring for their pets. Toddlers are often very willing to help, but partly because of their size, and mainly due to their age, they simply cannot help the way “big kids” can. So, how can toddlers help? They can help feed and water the dog. Simply get two plastic cups, divide your dog’s dinner portion between the two cups. Take your toddler to the food bowl and show them how to pour the food into the dish. Then go ahead and do the same thing with the water. Young children love this, and they really feel like they are helping mommy! Also, if your toddler is gentle enough, you can hand them a doggie brush and they can help you groom your dog’s coat. Taking the dog on walks with the stroller is also an excellent way your child can help.

For children who are still young, mainly from about 4 to 7 years of age, you can gradually increase their responsibility. Children of this age are able to pour the food and water into the dishes, they can groom the pet on their own, and they can begin helping you bathe your dog by handing you the shampoo, or by gently spraying the water over the dog as you hold him still.

Once your kids reach older ages, they are able to help in many more ways. They can clean up pet accidents in the house, they can usually (depending on your child’s maturity) be responsible for feeding and watering your pooch, take him or her out to do their business in the yard, or even depending on your dog’s size and temperament, bathe them as well.

Once your kids become teenagers, they should be responsible enough to feed and water the dog, take them out on walks daily, give them baths, and they may even be able to take Fido to the vet for their annual routine check-up.

It is always a joy to allow your kids to grow up with a dog aside from giving them good memories and a better appreciation for simple things. If your children express interest in helping take care of your pet, let them! Consider the age appropriateness of their tasks, and they will love it! To young children, responsibility is fun. Use this as a learning experience, and you and your children will be able to bond with the family pet as you all bond together!

Audrey Lai asked:


Many parents rush out to buy a toddler bed based solely on the cuteness or cartoon character painted on the bed. While buying a toddler bed is to entice our kids to move from the crib, cuteness should not be the sole deciding factor either. This is because not all toddler beds which are cute are durable and can withstand the average active toddler.

 

Apart from cuteness, some parents also prefer to settle for a cheap toddler bed due to its temporary nature before the move to a full-sized bed. Bear in mind that what you pay is what you get at times. Many parents have ended up complaining that these cheap beds are not sturdy enough to support the weight of their toddler.

 

So, how do you choose a toddler bed? To help you make your decision, you can try considering the following factors.

 

Sturdiness

 

A toddler is bound to end up bouncing and jumping on the bed, unless you are stern enough to discipline them not to do so. Most toddlers certainly do not reach 50 pounds, which is the maximum recommended weight for almost all toddler beds. But if you have an active toddler who would bounce on the bed, make sure the bed that you are going to buy can withstand that kind of pressure.

 

Many families also have more than one child and you would have to factor in that combined weight of all of them on the toddler bed, especially if they are close in age. The other factor that you should think about is whether you would end up sitting on the toddler bed yourself to read or play with your child.

 

The above situations might cause the toddler bed’s frame or mattress base to bend or simply snap if it is flimsy and poorly made. Of course, it makes little sense to invest too much on a toddler bed but when you do choose one, you have to consider how active your toddler is and how many will end up on the bed. Otherwise, it would only cost you more money to buy another bed later on if you settle for a less sturdy one now and it breaks.

 

Bed Rails

 

All toddler beds come with bed rails but the difference lies in the width and height of the rails. Some kids have no problems with narrower bed rails while others will still roll off the bed through the gap between the end of the rail and the footboard. It all depends on how much your toddler moves about when sleeping and you would need to consider this aspect when you buy a bed.

 

You also need to be aware that some bed rails can be low in height and if you have a thick crib mattress, the top of the mattress may come up to about the same height or just slightly less than the top of the rails. Therefore, your toddler still has the risk of falling off the bed due to the rails being too low to keep him or her safely within its boundaries.

 

So, when you choose a toddler bed, consider the width and height of the bed rails and if you can, how they are attached to the bed. Again, flimsy ones can easily break or become detached from the bed with one kick by your toddler.

 

Ease Of Assembly

 

Most toddler beds come in parts and you would have to do the assembly. If you are not good at putting things together, get a toddler bed that is less complicated and easier to assemble. Of course, one wouldn’t know whether a piece of furniture is easy to put together until it is delivered. One way you can minimize this risk is to do a little homework and read reviews by other buyers.

 

Most popular toddler beds have many buyer reviews in a variety of websites. It is up to you to search for them online before you make your purchase. If you see a bed that you like and it has both good and poor ratings, then look at the review dates. Some toddler beds may have poor ratings three or four years ago but later reviews may be more favorable, which may reduce the risk of a poor quality bed.

 

Conclusion

 

In summary, do not buy a toddler bed simply because it is cute. Consider other practical aspects as well so that you do not end up wasting your money in the long run. If you shop for a toddler bed with safety and sturdiness in mind apart from cuteness, you would be less likely to regret your purchase later on.

Colleen Langenfeld asked:


There’s nothing like a small tornado living in your home to turn even the most well-organized house upside down. Toddlers are energy in motion and causing clutter is their birthright. I have been blessed with four toddlers throughout the years and each one of them was adept at making messes and causing chaos. They were also completely void of any declutter skills.

Until they were trained. But we’ll talk about that more below!

If you are tired of attempting to clean your home dozens of times each day, here are some tried-and-true strategies for living through the toddler period with grace and calm (and a mostly decluttered home).

– The best defense is a good offense.

Toddlers are humans developing at an astonishing rate. They are remarkable creatures and possess a zest for living unmatched by any other age. All that development requires a good deal of stimulation. Toddlers are discovering the world around them each and every minute and the smart parent places items in their toddler’s world that are safe, enjoyable and sturdy.

You’ll have less discipline problems from the get-go if you provide toddler-approved clutter and remove temptations a toddler is not ready to handle properly. Which brings us to the next point.

– A home is first of all a place to live in, not just look at.

You may have beautiful collectibles, fine furniture and elegant decor. But you didn’t decorate your lovely home to please a toddler and that’s who is spending the most time there during this season in your life. So go with the flow and put away those collectibles, trade out those expensive decor items that are placed down low in your rooms and consider slipcovers for your fine furniture.

Here’s the real deal: toddlerhood goes by almost as fast as a toddler moves, so you’ll have your lovely home back in no time. However, you can never get back the memories of this precious time.

Knowing this, ask yourself a question: what kind of memories do you want? Remembering how exhausted you were each day from chasing your pint-sized darlin’ out of every corner every minute or sweet memories of enjoying your growing baby explore the world you are lovingly providing him.

Only you can decide.

– Provide storage that can declutter naturally.

Consider getting a large decorative basket that can accommodate your toddler’s toys and then show her how to play the pick-up game each and every time she is done playing in a room. In fact, get a basket for each room your toddler spends time in.

No fussing is necessary, just pick up toys alongside her and help her learn an important skill she’ll use the rest of her life.

The key here is consistency and patience. And here’s something to think about; if you want teenagers that help out around the house, this is how you train them. When they’re toddlers.

– Change out the fun and keep the interest level high.

It’s tempting as a parent to think that more and more toys will keep a toddler busy for longer periods of time. However, all that strategy accomplishes is lowering your bank account and creating clutter in your home.

Instead opt for a reasonable amount of toys (less is usually better), and rotate through them. For instance, put a handful of toys in your decorative basket this week and put the other toys in a box in a closet. Then every couple of weeks, get the box out and rotate through the toys. You can also trade toys with other parents to leverage the fun.

This is a simple concept. When toys go ’stale’ they move into the box or into another toddler’s house for a mini-vacation and when they return, those toys look remarkably brand new in the eyes of your toddler.

So what’s the bottom line? With a toddler in your home, you may not be able to keep a spotless house at all times, but that misses the point, doesn’t it? Instead, use these declutter tips to maintain a reasonably easy-to-care for environment that’s high on usability and rated tops in toddler satisfaction.

Chris Peace asked:


Educational value of stacking toddler toys

Stacking toddler toys are perhaps the simplest and most basic form of toddler toys. Every toddler is bound to have at least a couple of sets of these. Whether they are cups, blocks or rings, all of these serve the same purpose is developing a toddlers mental skills. They encourage problem solving, recognition of shapes and sizes, reasoning, colour recognition etc. These stacking toddler toys are educational at many different levels. At the basic level, they can be used as tools to help a toddler recognise different shapes, sizes and colour. At a more advanced level they can be used to learn numbers, the alphabet and even to construct shapes.

Guidelines to buying good stacking toddler toys

The number of cups / blocks / rings is the most crucial. If you want to facilitate learning through these toddler toys then it is necessary that the sets contain at least 5 or more cups / rings / blocks. Most sets available in the market have between 6 to 9 cups / rings / blocks.

Ensure that the stacking toys are made of good non toxic materials and are solid colours, preferably one solid colour per item. This will make colour recognition easier for the child.

You could also look for stacking toddler toys that have pictures on them; these will help in the recognition of shapes etc. This could also be introduced at a later stage.

Basic stacking toddler toys

Basic stacking toddler toys are available in plastic, wood and even fabric. The most common form of these toys are rings, cups and block. These basic stacking sets are great learning aids for toddlers. Stacking sets are also available in fabric. These are great for babies as they are soft and very attractive. However they do not make for great play value as most of these fabric sets are not available in flat colours. The materials that they are made of are generally multi coloured and hence it becomes difficult for a child to differentiate.

Advanced stacking toddler toys

Apart from the basic stacking toddler games, there are also advanced stacking toddler games. These kinds of toddler games encourage problem solving and have great educational value. Stacking toddler games are basically those where each piece represents a particular part of the stack. For example, if the whole stacking toddler toy represents a creature then each individual part will represent a body part of that creature. This sort of toddler toy also ensures motor skill development in your child. These kind of toddler toys are also the make and break kinds that will give your child endless hours of joy as he or she constructs and reconstructs the stacking toddler toy over and over. Care must be taken to ensure that these kinds of stacking toys do not have any small parts that can be detached or easily swallowed by the child. Also ensure that the toys are made of durable materials are toddler can get quite rough if they have to break something.

Cecilia Koh asked:


In the article on weaning your baby I suggested that from 10 months onwards, you could start offering other types of food to your baby. By the time your baby is 1 year old he should be taking a variety of food so it would be easy to progress to eating adult food. By now he should have enough teeth to chew his food and if you have been sitting him at the dinner table during meal times he should have learnt from watching you, how to chew his food.

A few pointers to remember when feeding your toddler

• Never leave your toddler alone to feed himself. This is because most children will put all the food they see into their mouth which could cause choking or vomiting.

• Always check that your child has swallowed the food before offering the next mouthful. You can do this by asking your child to open his mouth. This applies even when he is able to feed himself.

• Finger food should be soft and easy to chew or dissolve in the mouth. Do not give big chunks or sticks of food for them to bite off until they are 2 years old. If they accidentally bite off a biggish piece it could cause choking or the food could slip into the airways and get lodged in the lungs which may require surgery to remove it. Believe me; I have seen many cases where children lose a bit of their lungs because of care takers’ negligence.

• Never give infants or young children iced or refrigerated foods or liquids, because the coldness can damage the stomach and intestines, inhibiting the capacity to digest, assimilate, and eliminate. Liquids and soft cooked foods served warm or at room temperature are the most desirable and beneficial, especially when children are sick.

• Never give children cold drinks with their meals because the stomach should be warm to best digest the food and cold drinks will dampen the ‘fire’ needed to break down food.

• Do not give them fizzy drinks as this causes too much gas in the stomach. Did you know that you can use coke to remove stubborn stains in your toilet bowl? Imagine what it will do to your baby’s stomach if you let them drink coke!

• Try not to feed your child in front of the television. Children eat better when they have company so let your child eat with you.

• Never make horrible faces if you do not like the food that you see. Everything should be yummy.

All children go through phases of different eating styles.

The ferocious eating phase

This is the best phase when the child just loves eating everything that he sees. He would practically wolf everything down quick as a flash.

The keep the food in the mouth phase

This is when the child takes food into his mouth and just leaves it there without chewing or swallowing it. When he is satisfied that it has been there long enough, he will then chew and swallow it. It can take up to 1 hour to finish the meal which can be taxing if you are the impatient type of person. The possible reasons could be the child is not hungry enough or he is bored with the food, had too many snacks in between meals or he is testing your ingenuity on how to get him to eat.

The choosy phase

This is when the child decides he does not want to eat certain food. It is quite normal if your child suddenly refuses to eat a certain food that he used to enjoy, so just give him alternatives. Once the child is old enough I always ask them what they want to eat especially for breakfast. The other thing that I do is play on their vanity if I think that they should eat the food offered. I always tell them what food group the food is; for example vegetables contain Vitamin C and eating this will make their skin beautiful, eating proteins will give them strong muscles (show your strong biceps), eating vitamin A will make their eyesight strong etc. If they question me on why my skin is not smooth and beautiful, I always tell them it is because I was naughty and did not eat vegetables when I was young. They always believe me and finish everything on the plate.

The ‘I don’t want to eat’ phase

This is very common if they have just recovered from an illness and do not have any appetite. Let your child choose what he likes but make sure that the food is nutritious and not junk food. Make sure you do not have lots of junk food in the house and they will be able to make do with what you have. It could be a piece of cheese or a couple of biscuits instead of rice.

Now let us look at how to start teaching your child to feed himself.

It is best to first teach your toddler to eat using his fingers because he has been practicing putting things into his mouth since he was 2 – 3 months old. Use foods that are dry and easy to pick up, like bread and biscuits. Show your child how to pick up food using his thumb and first finger and let him practice as often as possible.

The next stage is to teach him how to use a fork. I like to start with a plastic fork as it is lighter and easier to handle. Now you can use cut up fruits and vegetables as these are easier to prod with the fork.

Once he has mastered using the fork it is time to learn how to use a spoon. It is better to start with a teaspoon which is lighter. Initially, he will not be able to balance the food on the spoon and will tip the food off the spoon but be patient.

Once he has mastered the skill of feeding himself he will not want you to feed him anymore so let him be independent.

Cooking tips

• Remove your child’s portion before you add salt or reduce the amount of salt for the whole family

• Do not use monosodium glutamate in the food

• Add a little extra water when cooking rice so that it is slightly softer

• Use smaller fish because it has less methyl-mercury

From bottle to cup

Regardless of what other people say, I strongly believe that children should drink water starting from infancy. In our country, children tend to lose fluids through invisible loss and the drying effects of air-conditioners. If they have a fever or they are ‘heaty’ they will need slightly more to keep the internal system cool. If the children start drinking water early, once they grow older, they will not have problems drinking water. In fact you cannot find sweet fizzy drinks in my house. If the weather is very hot everybody has to drink extra water. The other drink which I encourage is barley with winter melon strips instead of sugar.

All the babies below 6 months must drink at least 60 mls of water per day. Normally I give a little after their milk feed to keep the mouth clean and the balance when they wake up from their sleep when the mouth may be a bit dry.

After 6 months they need to drink about 150 – 200 mls per day. If they refuse to drink from the bottle, I will spoon feed them

From 12 months onwards I like to give them water from a straw cup as there is no spillage.

From 18 months they learn to drink directly from the cup. I start by giving them an empty cup to practice putting to the mouth and once they have mastered the technique, I put a little water into the cup and slowly increase the amount.

I like the western way of allowing children to feed themselves from an early age. Most Chinese families do not allow the children to feed themselves until they are 4 – 5 years old because it is messy. What is a little mess to clean up compared to the joy of achievement on your child’s face when he actually manages to eat by himself. When Marie started primary school I happened to pop into the school canteen during recess to pay the canteen fees and I was absolutely horrified to see several grandmas and maids sitting there feeding the 7 year old children because they did not know how to feed themselves.

I hope that you are like me in wanting your child to learn how to be self reliant from an early age.

Chris Peace asked:


Benefits of a rocking toddler toy

Rocking toddler toys are most children’s favourite toddler toy. Children in the age group of 1 to 6 years adore this kind of toy and it is a must for any child’s play pen. These toys are generally made of wood and this makes them extremely durable, sturdy and can be handed down from generation to generation. Apart from the fact that rocking toddler toys make for endless hours of fun and imaginative and pretend play they do play an important role in the growth of your child. A rocking toy is great to help your child improve and perfect his or her balance and coordination.

The perfect rocking toddler toy for a 1 to 2 year old

While rocking toddler toys might be the perfect gift for your little one, there a couple of very important things you should keep in mind before actually buying the toy. It is vital to remember that buying a rocking toy for a child between the age group of 1 and 2 years will be different from what you will buy a child who is 3 years of age. Toddlers in this age group are still trying to perfect their balancing and coordinating skills and therefore care must be taken to ensure that the toy is sturdy. Care also has to be taken to ensure that the toy is low so as to facilitate easy dismounting and mounting. You should also check to see that the feet of your toddler touch the ground when he or she is sitting on it. This is important to prevent accidents. The ideal height for the toy would be if the seat is 10 inches above the ground. You might want to ensure that the toddler toy has a wide enough arc at the base as well. This will help prevent the toy from tipping over.

Rocking toddler toys for 3 years and above

Buying rocking toddler toys for this age group is an easier task as these are easily available in the market. If you are buying this toy online however, it is important that you check the measurement of the toys as most toys that are made for the age group 1 to 4 years usually land up being small for 3 to 4 year olds. The glaring difference will be that a rocking toddler toy for a 1 to 2 year old will be shorter and wider than a rocking toddler toy for a 3 to 4 year old. These are generally taller and thinner.

Types of rocking toddler toys

Today the market is filled with rocking toddler toys of various non toxic materials, like wood, plastic and fabric. The ones made of fabric are referred to as plush rocking toys. 1 to 2 year olds will be happy with simple rocking toddler toys. These come is various shapes and vibrant colours. A slightly older child however might prefer a rocking toddler toy that has a closer resemblance to the real thing. They also tend to prefer rocking toddler toys that have some sort of activity or sound linked to it. Wooden rocking toys are perfect for this age group.