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Parenting.com's Answers are provided by members of our community. While your fellow moms and our editors have plenty of great advice to offer based on their experience, it is not a substitute for professional medical help. Always consult a medical professional when seeking medical advice.
Parenting.com's Answers are provided by members of our community. While your fellow moms and our editors have plenty of great advice to offer based on their experience, it is not a substitute for professional medical help. Always consult a medical professional when seeking medical advice.
At what age should a toddler make decisions?
At what age should a toddler make decisions?
Examples: What would you like for lunch?
Your diaper is dirty, may I change it?
Would you like to go to the playground. store, etc.?
Which outfit would you like to wear?
Which show would you like to watch on T.V.?
answers (6)
Changing the diaper is not optional. It's just, "Let's change the dipaer". Don't let them decide about going to the store or you may be in for years of wrangling and negotiating. Too many choices are overwhelming to toddlers but certainly it's nice to be able to lay out two choices (for outfits or lunch) and let the toddler have big girl/big boy choices. Praise the choice when made. As far as the TV shows, even those that are supposedly for kids can be inappropriate. If you are familiar with the content of the shows and watch with your child then a choice of one or two is great. It's really wonderful that you want to let them start making choices and move towards a little independence. A choice of two is wonderful and gives your little one a sense of independence and control. A choice from too many choices can just be overwhelming.
I think letting your child make choices is great for fostering their independence. However, it needs to be done carefully because young children can easily become overwhelmed which can cause tantrums and frustration. So rather than just saying "what do you want to wear today?", give your child options to choose from. Perhaps 2 or 3 outfits that they can make their decision from *It's good for you to do the choosing because we obviously know what is appropriate for the weather and such. If my daughter could she would wear summer dresses and flip flops year round.*
I think idea is the same for food. You don't want to give them total control because it's not convenient for you to be making numerous meals to please everyone and also you want the childs meals to also be nutritious. So perhaps you keep it simple and make a sandwich, why not give your child the option of choosing what to have with the sandwich. Perhaps say, "Would you like yogurt, grapes, or carrot sticks and ranch with your sandwich today?"
So then I believe the saying "Good in moderation" would fit here. Give your child the opportunity to make choices and nurture their independence, but let your parental senses kick in so that you can reel them in a bit.
Choices are very important for a toddler. They are figuring out the world around them and striving for independence. However, of course, they are still children and don't understand all the consequenses of some actions. We as adults do (or should) and that's why we set boundaries. Children as young as probably 18 mo can understand simple choices - "which of these two books do you want?" As they get older, give them controlled options, such as suggested above. Some things are nonegotiable, although, so do not give them the chance to become master negotiators - eg. bedtimes, running errands (your schedule), etc. I have seen 4 year olds bargain for every little thing, because they know that if they provide an option, their parent will give in.
So, I'll second the "everything in moderation" here. Give them the power of choice, in a controlled manner.










