Toddler Purgatory

Sometimes little kids lack the ability to express their frustration, fear, and anger in words. That’s usually when they decide to whack the other 3-year-old with the toy dump truck, instead of pleasantly sharing. 

Experts say aggression often gets a little better once kids can express themselves verbally– although not always, if what goes on in our houses is any indication. 

In this episode we discuss how to handle our kids becoming aggressive when we’re there to witness it, when we’re *not* there to witness it (like at preschool), and what clear, consistent messaging we need to model to move things in a more peaceful direction. 

Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: 

Emily Fromm and Nicole Harris for Parents: How to Handle Aggressive Toddler Behavior

Emily Edlynn, Ph.D for Parents: My Child Won't Stop Hitting Other Children at Daycare

Laura Markham for Psychology Today: 10 Steps to Stop Your Child from Hitting Other Kids

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

The Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

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Wine and cheese at the playground? Naps outside? Recess every hour? There are a lot of intriguing child-rearing strategies from all over the world, some that to us Am-urr-icans seem like common sense, and some that seem a little more out-of-the-box...

Molly and Blaire discuss:

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Marco Chown Oved for the Toronto Star: "Mothers love differently around the world"

Amy Morin for VeryWell Family: "11 Parenting Styles From Around the World"

Sharon Jayson for USA Today: "American moms creating a parenting melting pot"

What Fresh Hell's Fresh Take with Michaeleen Doucleff on Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans

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Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

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Do you feel overwhelmed when you're parenting solo, even if it's just for a few days? You're not alone. Solo parenting (not to be confused with single parenting) is tough, but there are small ways you can make a big impact on the experience, bringing down your blood pressure and your DEFCON level at the same time.

Blaire and Molly discuss:

Links!

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Kids today only spend half as much time playing outside as we did. It can be a hassle to get them bundled up and to the playground on a drizzly spring afternoon– or to clean half the floors in your house after a trip to your own snowy backyard. But there are many skills that kids gain both from self-directed and “purposeful play,” and experts say that's particularly true when that play happens outdoors.

Our guest Meghan Fitzgerald is the co-founder of Tinkergarten, which offers purposeful play opportunities for children and families that gets them away from screens and outdoors together in nature. Meghan tells us her favorite get-them-outside activities, and why even the coldest or rainiest days offer rewards that really are worth bundling everyone up. 

Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/parenting/kids-winter-play-outside.html

https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/parenting/viking-parenting-childhood-risk-fresh-air-mental-health/?fbclid=IwAR2sM-84dC7xYVEmyMLjKG7ijFQCm2QiIQOr1AZoPJpDTfFZm-mXVeRG2No

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880

And our episode "Danger Babies": https://www.toddlerpurgatory.com/danger-babies-why-are-some-kids-such-risk-takers/

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Nobody tells you that the four-day potty training plan might take 6 weeks. Or that you should always have crayons and paper in the diaper bag. This episode is full of boredom busters, potty training tips, and all the best stuff somebody really should have told us ahead of time!

Got a topic idea or a question you'd like to hear on the podcast? Leave us an email on our website: https://www.toddlerpurgatory.com/contact/

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Babies are mysterious creatures, which is why Molly and Blaire took to the What Fresh Hell Facebook group to ask: "What is something you wish someone had told you before having a baby?"

From how long it can take to get pregnant, to the likelihood your little one will love carrots for a year before turning on them for no apparent reason, laugh along as Toddler Purgatory gets to the bottom of all the things nobody ever told us before we had kids.

Please "follow" or "subscribe" us wherever you listen so you never miss an episode! Find all the places you can listen on toddlerpurgatory.com.

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kids are bananas. Some particularly so. But why are some kids seemingly born to scale the kitchen cabinets before they can walk? And are there are any future upsides to having been a “danger baby”? 

In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss the many benefits of “free play,” the differences between danger and risk, how we can teach our little ones to be safely courageous, and what child development specialist Rebecca Weingarten calls “constructive failure.”

Here are links to some of the writing on the topic and other things discussed in this episode: 

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2017-05-11/9-ways-to-cultivate-courage-in-kids

https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/kids-health/why-our-kids-should-take-risks-sometimes-even-slightly-dangerous-ones/

Shakira’s song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” https://youtu.be/pRpeEdMmmQ0

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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When did kids' birthday parties become such a big to-do? Why do we celebrate birthdays in the first place? What sound does a clown make? Blaire's and Molly's sons are both turning six within five days of each other, so listen in as they party plan and take a trip down memory lane about their own birthdays growing up.

Blaire and Molly discuss:

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Joe Pinsker for The Atlantic: "The Strange Origins of American Birthday Celebrations"

Megan Cooley for The Spruce: "How to Plan a Kid's Birthday Party: The Ultimate Timeline"

Julie Hoag: "7 Tips to Survive Hosting a Kids Birthday Party"

Crystal Ponti for Filter Free Parents: "This Is Why None Of Us Really Love Kids’ Birthday Parties"

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Does your child consistently wake you up in the middle of the night because they're deathly afraid of the dark or the monsters under the bed? You may think that chasing "the monster" away or just leaving the lights on are the right course of action, but it's actually more complicated than that.

Molly and Blaire discuss:

The most important thing you can do is validate your child's fear without shaming or judging them. Explain that you have your own fears, and start an open conversation about the root causes of their fears in order to address them.

Links!

Daryl Austin for USA Today: "More Americans than ever are afraid of the dark, experts say. Here's why."

Nama Winston for ABC Everyday: "I've made my child afraid of the dark. How do I fix it?"

Parenting.com: "Ask Dr. Sears: Mashing Monster Fears"

"Bedtime Stories - Superheroes!" podcast

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're all ready to go All The Places after being stuck at home for so long, but traveling with little ones presents a few layers of challenge.

We discuss everything about vacationing with littles with guest Julia Edelstein, the editor-in-chief of Parents. Julia began her career at Time Out New York Kids, then served as health editor at places like Good Housekeeping and Real Simple before stepping into her current role leading America's most influential media brand for parents. She's also the mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4.

We discuss this article in this episode:

Jamie Hergenrader for TripSavvy: 2021 Trend Report Shows a Rise in Family Travel and the "Flexcation"

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com.

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER.

Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices