“I do it myself!”
Recognize that phrase?
If yes, chances are that you now have or previously had a two year old living in your home.
Most children enter the “Me Do It” stage between 18 and 36 months with different degrees of intensity depending on their personality.
Good news: This stage is cause for celebration!
It means that your child recognizes himself as separate from others and feels safe and confident enough to take risks. And when children are allowed to try things on their own, they develop new skills and build self-esteem.
But, at the same time it can be really frustrating and will try your patience. The ‘Me Do It’ phase may turn out to be a stressful transitioning period for you and your baby.
So here are some tips that you may find helpful.
- Give them some extra time: always include extra minutes in your schedule to accommodate this phase. You do not want to be that parent who is always in a hurry.
- Offer choices: instead of trying to always help your toddler with their job, give them options to choose from. For example, if your toddler wants to climb the stairs by themselves to go upstairs but is still playing with their toys, you could ask, ‘Would you like me to carry you up the stairs or help you by holding your hand?’ Regardless of their choice, you will save yourself a teary afternoon. By giving them a reasonable choice, they are still in control of the outcome but with any luck, that outcome will happen faster.
- “First me, then you”: Although you’ll want to avoid extreme criticism and critique, you can delicately guide your toddler about how to complete specific tasks safely and successfully. Tell your toddler: “first me, then you”, which means: first I’ll do the task and then you can do it. You can also use this phrase if your toddler is trying to do something that may take too long for your schedule.
Allowing your child opportunities to do things independently takes longer than if you helped, but the end results are definitely worth the extra effort.
