10 Signs Your Toddler Demands Attention

…and what to do about it

So, there’s been a lot of activity going on at our house lately. No, not the “normal” craziness of having 3 kids, 2 dogs and 2 exhausted adults. No, we have also been dealing with various illnesses, a team sport we’ve never done before, a mess of work and some minor home improvement projects. And, somewhere in there, I noticed that my toddler was needing me. I wish I’d known before it smacked me in the face, but here’s 10 Signs Your Toddler is Begging for Attention…and what to do about it.

10 Signs Your Toddler is Begging for Attention

Doing Things You Told Her Not to Do. Over and over and over.
Being Annoying. Well, more annoying than usual.
Talking Over You. Well, babbling over you.
Running Away. And looking back like “see me?”
Covering Your Phone. Grrr…
Closing Your Laptop. While you’re trying to write a blog post…hmmmm…
Rubbing Your Head. Because that’s not annoying that she just fixed your do.
Covering Your Mouth. When you’re talking. To anyone. All the time.
Screaming. In your ear. Randomly.
Picking on Your Other Kids. Like by stealing pacifiers, pushing…you know…

What do you do when your toddler is begging for attention?

Well, the easy answer is “give the toddler more attention.” But you still have to get all that other stuff done, too. It’s not like just because I realized my girl needed some lovin’ that I could just put all that other stuff off. Nope. I recommend the following:

Include her in what you’re doing. If that means strapping her to your hip with the carrier and letting her “join-in” on your activity, so be it.
Include her in the conversation. Because she might not know how to talk to you yet in clear, understandable words, but I’ll guarantee you that she knows when her opinion matters to you and that’s all that counts.
Show her she’s important. By looking away from what you’re doing to make eye contact with her. Then explain what you’re doing, let her know it’s important, but that you still love her and want to be with her. Sometimes, a person just likes to hear that.

Pretty simple, really. In the last week, by doing these 3 simple things, it’s really dropped my stress level down because my toddler isn’t BEGGING for attention–she’s just getting it and feeling a lot more secure in herself.