The older my two year old gets, the more I realize that she desires praise and attention like any human being. She is very aware of learning new things and already experiences fear and excitement. In her words, “I so excited!” I always want my daughter to approach life with such zest and courage, and I want her to have strong memories of my encouragement along the way. It’s easy to use the same phrases with our kids over and over, like “good job!” and sometimes we just need to mix things up. Take a quick look at our short list of positive ways you can encourage your toddler, because it’s never too early to start building them up!
1. I’m Proud Of You
No one makes us prouder than our children. Knowing that we brought such beautiful and amazing little people into the world is a gift unto itself. As your toddler grows into their own person and accomplishes new things, they like and need to know we love and accept them. While they may not fully understand the concept of “being proud,” they do know when we applaud their actions!
2. You Are A Great Helper
You know you have an official toddler when they tell you “I do it” and refuse your help. It’s a little bit painful as you watch your baby become independent but also an exciting moment for a parent. Capitalize on each action that your child tries to “help” you, even if it ends up making a bigger mess. I think we can all agree that we’d like our children to grow up and live selflessly, helping others around them as if it’s their duty.
3. You Are So Kind
It’s been said that the more definitions we use to define our children, the more they will come true. Our toddlers are still learning the ways of the world, and that includes sharing and caring. The more we verbally acknowledge the sweet disposition of our children, the more they will want to exhibit those behaviors since they know we desire them. All the psychological mumbo jumbo aside, it’s important for our kids to know that being kind is a good thing, especially because we want others to be kind to us.
4. I Know You Can Do It
Parents don’t like to see their children struggle and it’s easy to step in and “help” them build, pick up or put away. But empowering our kids with words and actions is important. Sometimes it’s as simple as telling our kids they can do something and we are letting them, for them to just say “oh ok!” Encouraging our kids from a young age will do wonders for their self esteem and confidence as they grow older.
5. I Love You No Matter What
Toddlers know one thing and that’s that they love their parents and always want to be around them. But they are still learning the depth of love and may question if you love them if they misbehave. Of course you do! A child will never get tired of hearing that you love them, especially through the good and bad. Sometimes we think we tell our children that we love them more than we do, through our actions. But all a child really needs is to hear those sweet words to feel loved and encouraged.