Guest Blogger, Colleen Stewart: Parenting Resources: Toddler to Teen

When you have a baby, all you can focus on are the long nights, sweet snuggles, and precious laughs. But rest assured, the infant stage only lasts a fleeting minute. As a new parent, it’s best to prepare yourself for the trials and tribulations of the toddler, tween, and teen years.

Here are some useful links to read when you need advice on navigating the next few years.

Crawl time

It gets interesting when your baby starts crawling. What once felt like a safe bedroom or living room can now have hidden dangers lurking in every corner. Here’s what to keep an eye out for.

• • • • • • • • • When Baby Starts Crawling: 20 Ways Life Suddenly Becomes Much More Challenging
                • 14 Things You Might Have Forgot to Baby-Proof

Toddler

Your little one is walking and (maybe) talking by now. Here’s how to keep them safe, engaged, and ready to go out into the world without you.

• Developmental Milestones: 2-Year-Olds
• Toddler/Preschooler Safety Tips
• 15 At-Home Learning Activities for Toddlers

School-Aged

By now, you may have added another baby to the mix. But that doesn’t make you a parenting expert just yet. Here are some things to keep in mind as your growing progeny transitions from child to young adult.

• • • • • • • • • Leading by Example: The Best Gift You Can Give Your Children
                • 5 Ways to Encourage a Love of Learning
                • How to Set Ground Rules for Working from Home

Tweens and Teens

The tween and teen years are both the easiest and most difficult when raising children. They are no longer your little ones, but they aren’t yet your peers.

• 5 Secrets for Communicating With Your Teenager
• 9 Benefits of Video Games for Your Child

In all honesty, there is no single set of links on the internet that can make you the world’s most perfect parent. However, these are certainly a good start, and they can help you get through some of the struggles you may not have considered.

By: Colleen Stewart, colleen.stewart@playdatefitness.com

Pollywog was developed to align health care, parenting education, and early childhood services for children, prenatal to age five, and their families in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties, in Oregon. Call 541-917-4884.