toddler tips

Nat chats with Liz Van Hyning, a former special education teacher, ABA therapist, and mom to 2-year-old twins, about tips and tricks to manage toddler behaviors.

Today's podcast is sponsored by oogiebear, the better booger picker. Visit oogiebear.com and use code TWINS for 30% off your entire purchase (expires 2/28/2022).

Liz Van Hyning is a former Special Education teacher and ABA therapist turned stay-at-home mom to her spunky set of 2-year-old twins. Liz uses her years of experience to guide her through the twists and turns of parenthood, specifically toddler behaviors. Today, Liz hopes to share a few tools to promote positive, healthy behaviors in the household.

Liz's 3 Pieces of Advice for Twin Parents

Routines – Establishing a predictable routine is easier said than done, so don’t be discouraged if the routine isn’t settling in right away. Routines are established through weeks and months of repetition. When established, life becomes a little bit easier and a lot less complicated. A predictable routine will come in handy when twins go from babies to toddlers. Doing the same thing every day may be boring to us, but for our children, it lowers their cortisol levels and keeps them from feeling anxious about what’s coming next. Routines establish clear expectations. Allowing parents to become a partner in the routine, rather than a dictator. Thus alleviating the power struggle of day-to-day tasks many of us face with toddlers. 

Plan individual quality time – From the moment twins are born, they are grouped together. Mostly out of convenience and survival. As they transition from baby to toddler, personality and interests explode. With so much going on during the day, one of you and two of them, you may find it challenging to devote undivided attention with each twin. Carving out a single moment to spend quality time with your children, individually, allows you to deepen your connection, strengthen your relationship and take an uninterrupted interest in something that is important to them. Busy? Try to connect with your children at bedtime. Take 5-10 minutes to read a story of their choosing or to talk about their day. It’s not the big things in life that make the most impact. It’s the little special moments when you connect with your child’s heart is what makes all the difference. 

Trust yourself – God has blessed you with these children for a reason and you are fully equipped to handle any big changes or decisions that come your way throughout their little lives. Parents have a built-in compass just like we have our conscience to offer us an innate sense of right and wrong. It’s time that we start trusting that a little bit more. Start listening to what feels good to our parenting hearts, and stop thinking so much about the “right” way or the popular way or the way that would ruffle the least feathers. Let go of some of that doubt and worry. You’re smart. You’re strong. You’re capable. You got this! 

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Ask most parents and they'll agree that travelling with toddlers is the hardest age to manage when you're planning family holidays - but that's no reason to stop. In this episode, the Kidventures family travel podcast hosts share all their top toddler travel tips, from food and routines to ways to cope with long journeys.

As well as their own experiences of travelling with toddlers and surviving (with two separate toddlers in Ting's case), there's also more advice in Ting's new free book, available to download at my-travelmonkey.com/tips-for-travelling-with-a-toddler/ or find out more at kidventures.co.uk

This episode was originally recorded in February 2020 but - for fairly obvious reasons - has been postponed until families can realistically think about travelling with young kids once again and make the most of the tips.

 The advice covers travelling with toddlers in general, rather than specifically relating to post-pandemic holidays so as ever, check the latest travel restrictions and government guidance before you book or go.

Check out the other podcast episodes or subscribe for more family travel inspiration, tips, destination advice and recommendations from some of the UK's top family travel experts, including hosts Cathy and Ting from family travel blogs MummyTravels.com and My-Travelmonkey.com