I read all these blogs (constantly–I’m an avid reader and blogs are my current outlet, since they’re free) where they talk about “how to reconnect with your kids after you yell” or “how to raise a reader”. What I don’t see a lot of out there is “how to let your kid be a kid and you be a mom”. Which is kind of frustrating. Because, you see, they’re kids. And we’re moms. And we should just be ourselves with ourselves and, at the end of the day, we should model being comfortable in our roles so THEY are comfortable in theirs. Right? Well, for their sake (and ours), here’s 10 Things You Need to Let Your Toddler Do At Least Once. Because they need the chance to just be a kid. And you deserve a minute to just be their mom–their first friend.
10 Things You Need to Let Your Toddler Do At Least Once
- Make a mess in the kitchen. (the ingredients for life start with “fun”)
- Run through a field of flowers. (trust me, this will bring them a new level of joy)
- Jump on the bed. (ok, mom, you can stand right there next to them)
- Climb in the dryer. (just don’t shut the door)
- Wear an outfit that looks insane. (they’re discovering themselves, my lovelies)
- Put on mommy’s make-up or daddy’s tie. (modeling the people they love is just awesome)
- Play in the rain and mud. (the wonder of nature is never so basic)
- Go camping. (even if it’s during the day in your house–just pitch the tent)
- Splash in the kitchen sink–for as long as they want. (
- Run naked through the house. (freeeeeee!)
Honestly, my toddler does all these things (and more) frequently. But, she’s what some might consider “spirited” as she pretty much does what she wants all the time while I run behind her trying to keep up. I honestly try to let her discover the world, herself and everything on her own without trying to turn everything into a “teachable” moment or anything like that.
She’s going to learn because she’s curious–not because I taught her the different colors every day or did flashcards with her constantly. No. I’m kind of a “free form” mom and she can learn whatever she wants when she wants and how. I set up invitations to play and we do little things–but if they don’t interest her, we move on to the next thing. Yes, I spend a lot of my day walking around behind her cleaning things up, or putting things back on the shelf. But, she’s doing that with me a lot of the time (learning how to clean-up after herself). So, maybe you would like to destress your mom-life? Maybe you’d like to just let your kid be a kid? Well, these 10 Things You Need to Let Your Toddler Do At Least Once will be a great place to start that.
What do you think? Would you add anything to this list? I’d love to hear it, if you have any suggestions!