Toddler Tips

Inside: Want to easily go shopping with kids? Find out the best 5 tips to help you prevent meltdowns!

Have you ever been the mom standing on the checkout line and your child decides to go completely ballistic? You know, full-on meltdown, tantrum stomping, or red-faced screaming…

You try absolutely everything to calm your little one down but nothing seems to be working.

You immediately look around and see all of the other people staring at you, wondering why you can’t “get your baby under control”.

Embarrassment sets in. Anger starts to rise. And you lose your patience.

The domino effect is in full swing.

I have been there ppllleennntttyyy of times!

And if this has ever happened to you, know this—you are NOT a bad mom.

Babies and toddlers are little people with their own emotions who can’t clearly express themselves yet. Yes, meltdowns at the checkout line are not fun—but that’s ok, it’s a part of motherhood!

I’m going to share some of the best tips to help you shop with kids and easily run errands with your baby or toddler.

Of course, you can’t control everything your baby or toddler will do and feel, but you can prevent meltdowns and use special tactics to divert the crisis!

The top 5 tips to easily go shopping with kids are:

1. Pack an epic busy bag
2. Have “special goodies” on hand
3. Plan around routine
4. Practice patience
5. Put on listening ears

With these 5 tips, you will be running errands left and right with your little one—tantrum & meltdown free!

Let’s jump into these tips!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please view Mastering Mom Life’s Terms, Disclosure & Disclaimer Policy and Privacy Policy. I wholeheartedly believe in all of the products I recommend and use them all! 

5 Tips to Easily Go Shopping with Kids

One day I was standing on the Bath and Body Works checkout line, with a basket filled to the brim with items and my daughter decided to have a full-on “toddler moment”.

Everyone around me quickly glared my way.

I thought to myself how in the world people can be so judgmental and condescending to a mother, who clearly has her hands full.

My anger wasn’t towards my daughter, it was at the people around me for escalating the situation and making me feel like a bad mom.

After that day, I swore to myself I would try to work at making these shopping trips easier for my daughter.

I’ve been implementing these tips for the past couple of days (since our last Bath & Body Works incident) and it’s realllllyyyy been helping….

1. Pack an epic diaper bag/toddler bag

A perfectly packed bag is a complete life-saver!

You want to make sure everything your little one needs is in there. From wipes to snacks, you want that bag to be the one-stop-shop for everything that you will need.

Be sure to pack your child’s favorite snacks, drinks, toys, and games!

Here are some things I always have on hand:

• Apple Sauce On the Go Pouches
• Organic Fruit Snacks
• Happy Baby Freeze-Dried Yogurt Bites
• Apple & Eve Juice Boxes
• Miracle No-Spill Sippy Cup

Here’s my famous diaper bag checklist that I use when for our outings. As my daughter got older, I changed a few items, but the gist of it stayed the same.

You can download my free printable Diaper Bag Checklist below!

Related Reading: How to Pack the Perfect Diaper Bag

Fun Apps that don’t need internet

If I know I have to run a lot of errands or shop for a while, sometimes I download Mother Goose Club episodes to the Netflix app so my daughter can watch them without internet.

You can use Netflix, Vudu, Disney+ and other apps to download shows and movies to your device so your child can be occupied, even if you don’t have internet.

I don’t mind letting my daughter watch educational shows while I shop. It keeps her content, it’s educational, and since it’s not a part of her everyday routine—it’s a treat for her!

Here are some fun game apps that don’t require internet:

• Baby Coloring
• Disney Jigsaw! Puzzles
• Disney Coloring
• Daniel Tiger Neighborhood Game

2. Special Goodies

Don’t underestimate the power of the word “special”!

I recently started putting things aside that I know my daughter really likes and only using them during our outings.

She knows those are her “special goodies” for when she’s a good girl and mommy is running errands.

One of her special treats is screen-time (like I mentioned above), but other goodies include glitter stickers, special lollipops.

Here are some “special goodies” that I stock up on:

• Water Wow On the Go Coloring Book
• Toddler Learning Tablet
• Peek & Play Surprise Eggs

By stocking up these fun “special goodies”, you can easily go shopping and your little one will be entertained until no end!

3. Routine is king

If you’re trying to avoid a meltdown in the middle of a store, you want to be sure to go out when your child is most likely going to be in a good mood.

An overtired child is a miserable one.

To easily go shopping with kids, the best thing to do is try to plan your outings around your child’s naps.

If you track your baby’s routine, you’ll see a stretch of time where your little one is happy and content.

That is a primetime window for outings!

(Of course, not all errands can be based off your little one’s routine, but it’s a good rule of thumb for easy outings)

Try to keep your child’s routine as close to normal as possible.

• If your little one needs to nap, try to plan the outing where they can sleep in the car.
• If your baby needs to eat, plan your day to be at a certain place at a certain time so you can feed.

Keeping up with routine will help prevent your child from feeling “displaced” and ultimately needing to have a meltdown!

4. When shopping with kids, Patience is a Virtue

This tip is more for us- the overtired stressed mamas of the world!

Having patience and not overreacting is a big part of keeping your child calm. Our children feed off our emotions and mood.

So, if you want to have a successful & easy outing, try to stay as calm as possible.

I KNOW it’s hard! But you will thank yourself for it 🙂

Picking your battles will probably be one of the hardest things you have to do, but having patience and staying calm with your little one will help them stay calm too.

To go shopping with kids means to put on your patient hat!

5. Listening Ears

This is one of my best toddler tips!

Whenever my Baby L isn’t listening to me I tell her to look at me and then I start to “turn on” my listening ears (making a hand motion as if I’m turning my ears like a knob).

Then I ask her to turn on her listening ears.

All you have to do is:

• Make eye contact with your child
• Do a hand motion as if you are turning your ears like a knob
• Say “please turn on your listening ears”

This is really great to get your kid’s attention and get them to follow directions!

If you’re going shopping with kids old enough to understand when they need to pay attention, “listening ears” is a great tactic to get them involved and motivated to listen.

Using this kind of approach (rather than the “why aren’t you listening to me??” approach) will help you connect with your little one so they are more receptible to what you are asking.

Get a FREE Mommy & Me Planner!

Knowing your child’s routine can be the difference between a smooth, successful outing… and a catastrophe.

To help you understand your child’s routine, it’s best to track their activities, feedings, and naps. After tracking your baby’s activities for a couple of days, you will begin to see a pattern—which is their overall routine!

You can use this routine to help you plan your day, your tasks, your schedule, and your outings.

Knowing your child’s routine is like having GOLD!

To easily help you do this, I created the Mommy & Me mini planner to help you track your child’s schedule AND help you plan your tasks.

Download the free mini planner now!

Let’s recap:

These are some of my tips for running errands with Baby L—and they have been WORKING!

Now you can stroll the mall, skim the stores, run errands, grocery shop, and even hit some sales you have your eye on—with your child in hand…

Tantrum-free!

The top 5 tips to easily go shopping with kids are:

1. Pack an epic busy bag
2. Have “special goodies” on hand
3. Plan around routine
4. Practice patience
5. Put on listening ears

With these 5 tips, you will be running errands left and right with your little one—tantrum & meltdown free!

I hope these tips help you too!

Keep Reading these Related Posts!

• How to Create Your Own Screen Time Rules
• The Best Toddler Morning Activities & Routine

Wait! Do you love Free printables??

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, exclusive access to my Mom Treasury filled with FREE printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

Inside: Thinking of potty training? Learn the best toddler potty training tips to help you make this pivotal transition an easy one!

I plopped down at my kitchen table, completely exhausted from throwing my daughter’s 2^nd birthday party. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my daughter skipping around her new toys and it hit me– oh my gosh, I have a toddler!

Immediately the thought of potty training flooded my mind.

How am I going to potty train her?

Will it be hard?

At that moment, potty training seemed like a huge mountain I could never climb. I dreaded even starting because of all the horror stories I’ve heard.

But I couldn’t let my fear and anxiety keep me from teaching my daughter this essential life skill.

So I buckled down and began potty training my toddler. And to my amazement—it wasn’t that hard!

On my potty training journey, I learned some amazing tips and tricks that made toddler potty training an absolute breeze.

Within 10 days, my daughter was completely out of diapers, using the potty, and accident-free!

I don’t necessarily believe in those “potty train your baby in 3 days” articles, mainly because like with any other milestone, potty training is a process.

But with these tips and tricks, I’m hoping to make your toddler potty training process as simple and stress-free as possible 🙂

So let’s get down to it!

Best Toddler Potty Training Tips

Remember to be patient with your toddler and yourself. Trust your instincts and take it one day at a time!

This post contains affiliate links. Mastering Mom Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please view Mastering Mom Life’s Terms, Disclosure & Disclaimer Policy and Privacy Policy. I wholeheartedly believe in all of the products I recommend and use them all! 

1. Stock up on Potty training essentials

The last thing you want to do is start the potty training process without your major essentials. That’s like baking cookies without any ingredients—it’s impossible!

Make sure to have all of the essentials before you start potty training. That way, nothing will disrupt your process once you’ve begun.

You can read my list of potty training essentials here.

Or you can download my free Potty Training Essentials Checklist below!

2. Involve your child in buying underwear

The first potty training tip is to involve your little one in as much as possible in this transition. Starting with buying their first training underwear. If you read my potty training essentials article, then you know how amazing these training undies can be!

They come in different characters and colors so your toddler can get excited about wearing their favorite underwear.

When you involve your toddler in the buying process and let them choose their own underwear, it sets them up for success because they feel empowered that they are making their own choice. And ultimately, entering into their “big kid” phase!

3. Make your bathroom as comfortable as possible

The next toddler potty training tip is to make your bathroom a toddler sanctuary. You want your child to know the difference between playroom and bathroom, but also not be intimidated by the bathroom.

Many toddlers are afraid of bathrooms because it is a foreign concept to them. They know diapers and wipes but the porcelain chair and flushing are completely foreign to them!

That’s why you want to get your child accustomed to the bathroom by making it comfortable for them. When you remove their reservations, they are way more likely to actually *want* to use the bathroom.

That way, you aren’t forcing your child to sit on the potty. They are asking to go.

I made some minor changes to our bathroom during potty training season. I purchased a fun Finding Nemo shower curtain, a fun toddler toilet seat, added some fun color towels, and made a “potty basket” filled with potty books and potty training dolls.

As soon as Baby L saw the bathroom with Nemo, she immediately wanted to go in!

4. Create a reward system

I am a strong believer in reward systems because not only do they work but then can be completely customized to fit ay family!

My favorite potty training tip is to use a Potty Chart. (You can get my FREE potty training chart here!)

This helps get your toddler involved with their potty training! For every time they sit on the potty, use the potty, flush the potty, and wash their hands, they get a different reward. This encourages then to learn each step of the potty training process as easy as possible!

Step by Step Reward System

Because every part of the potty training process is important, I like to reward Baby L for every time that she does anything potty related.

• If she sits on the potty and tries to go, she gets to play with her fish toy in the bathroom sink.
• If she actually goes, she gets a chocolate chip (I buy sugar-free chocolate chips that are healthy so no worries about overloading your child with sugar!)
• If she does the whole process, flushes the toilet and washes her hands, she gets a sticker on her potty chart that she completed the steps.
• If she gets 4 stickers that day, she gets a surprise.

I went to the dollar store and bought $10 worth of toys, coloring books, and little surprises to give her over the course of her potty training days. (You can find all of these on my potty training essentials checklist here!)

It’s worked like a charm!

And if she initiates to go on the potty without me asking, she gets an extra surprise. This could be her playing with a certain toy that she’s not allowed to play with all the time or something else that is meaningful to her.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel!

Use rewards that make sense to your child

It doesn’t have to be big or elaborate. Just something that is special to them.

To help you perfectly track your toddlers potty training progress, I created a customizable Potty Training Chart & Tracker for you!

The potty chart includes a chart for you to check off each time your toddler does one of the potty training steps. You can print the chart so they can see their progress and they can even use a marker to check off each star once they are done!

Then you can let them put a sticker on the chart so they can feel accomplished 🙂

It also includes a tracker to help you keep track of what is working and what isn’t. Plus it has a place for you to write notes about each potty trip as well.

This is the exact chart and tracker I used and it was perfect!

You can download the FREE Potty Training Chart & Tracker by clicking below!

5. Set some time to be home

My next potty training tip is to set a couple of days aside to just be home. You don’t want to start potty training your little one only to find that you need to run a bunch of errands. This can disrupt the training process and cause a delay.

I made the mistake of starting to potty training during a week where we had a lot to do. This confused my daughter because she didn’t know when it was okay to go in her diaper and when it wasn’t.

If you truly want potty training to stick the first time, you’ll have to teach your child that going to the bathroom in a diaper isn’t an option anymore. Of course, there will be accidents and special cases! But as a whole, the goal is to teach them the new place to do their business is on the potty, and nowhere else.

This will help them understand what it means to “hold it” and go pee-pee on the potty.

If they are confused about when they can go on themselves and when they can go on the potty, it will be hard for them to understand what going on the potty actually means.

To eliminate all confusion, being in the comfort of their own home where they can go potty as they please will really help solidify potty training!

6. It’s okay to have accidents

This potty training tip will cause some controversy but that’s okay!

I truly believe that it is okay for your child to have accidents during the potty training process. This is completely normal. After years of going to the bathroom in their diaper, they are now learning that it’s something they cannot do. And with that, comes a huge learning curve.

My daughter would have an accident at least twice a day. She either wouldn’t make it to the bathroom or she would just be playing and would pee—because she forgot she wasn’t wearing a diaper.

Don’t worry, this is normal!

Having accidents will actually help teach your toddler that they need to go on the potty. When they feel wet, they will know something isn’t right and then you can use that situation as an opportunity to take them to the potty.

Also, because they have on their training underwear, the mess isn’t as bad too!

Don’t forget to have some disinfectant on hand for those accidents too 😉

7. Set a reminder for every hour

To prevent a million accidents taking place in one day, my final potty training tip is to set a reminder for your little one to go potty.

Every time your little one has some water or juice, make a note of the time and set a reminder. At first, they won’t understand that they need to hold it until they get to the potty. So to help them, you sit them on the potty even if they aren’t telling you they have to go. Because odds are, they do!

8. Celebrate it up!

Don’t forget to celebrate every time your toddler uses the potty! Jump up and down, sing a song, clap your hands—use positive reinforcement to give them as much praise as possible.

And don’t forget to give yourself some praise too. After your baby foes to sleep, have a cup of coffee, treat yourself to your favorite snack, watch a guilty-pleasure show and take a breather. You deserve it! Potty training is not easy. Teaching your child something new is always a difficult task so don’t forget to take some time out for yourself too J

Download the Free Potty Training Chart & Tracker!

Don’t struggle through potty training! Download the free potty training chart and tracker to help you easily keep track of your child’s progress. Plus use the potty chart as a reward system to keep encouraging your toddler!

Keep track of any notes and your toddler’s potty progress during this pivotal step in their development!

Take the stress out of potty training!

Download the free chart now!

And there you have it!

I hope these potty training tips were able to bring you some relief about starting to train your toddler to use the toilet.

Now potty training doesn’t have to be a daunting mountain that feels like you can never climb. With these easy tips and resources, make potty training a celebratory step into toddlerhood!

Have any questions or other potty training tips you’d like to share? Drop it in the comments below!

You got this, mama!

Check out these other toddler hacks!

• Potty Training Must-Have Essentials to Make it Easy
• How to Handle the Terrible Twos with ONE Easy Thing
• 3 Routines Your Toddler Needs for a Tantrum-Free Day

Wait! Do you love free printables??

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, exclusive access to my Mom Treasury filled with FREE printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

Inside: Are you wondering how to handle the terrible twos? Don’t worry, escaping the terrible twos is possible! Find out how I used ONE thing to turn the terrible twos into terrific twos…

Last week my daughter decided to go from happy baby to terrible toddler in the matter of a hot second.

Boy, oh boy, was I flooded with the reality of toddlerhood!

They say the “terrible two’s” are inevitable…. that you can’t escape the wrath of a developing toddler. And for a second, I truly believed it.

My sweet, loving baby went to bed one night blowing kisses at me and woke up the next morning reigning terror in the house.

The more she didn’t listen, the angrier I became.

And the angrier I became, the less patience I had.

Everything that worked for me a week before suddenly became history as I was stuck with a toddler who refused to nap, refused to sit and eat and refused to listen.

I was baffled and honestly didn’t know what to do.

Have you ever felt this way? I’m sure you can relate!

Dealing with the terrible twos isn’t easy, but it IS possible. I refused to listen to the terrifying stories of parents who dealt with a terrible toddler for over 6 months.  I knew there had to be a better way!

And one day, I found the perfect solution for how to deal with the terrible twos.

The Great Epiphany

One afternoon, as my daughter was screaming her head off sitting on her bed (refusing to nap!) I sat on her floor with my face buried in my hands. I suddenly had an epiphany…maybe it wasn’t just her.

Maybe she’s genuinely going through a transition and doesn’t know how to deal with it or express it to me so she’s acting out. And maybe I keep fueling her because of how frustrated and overwhelmed I am.

I looked at my sweet baby girl and saw her face was all red and blotchy from crying– my heart immediately melted. I looked into her eyes and said “can mommy give you a hug?” and she jumped into my arms and nestled her head into my shoulder.

From that moment on, I was determined to make the terrible twos the terrific twos!

I use the Mommy & Me Planner to help me track her schedule and my tasks so I was able to go back to the week that she started to change and see if anything out of the ordinary happened.

And I realized that particular week she skipped all of her naps, we ate at odd times, and I didn’t take the time to play with her.

Then it hit me—she was out of her normal routine and schedule!

She felt like a fish out of water flopping around desperately trying to get back into her water.

So I immediately went into damage control and started to work on getting her back on her schedule and routine that she thrived on.

Take One step at a time

Every day, I took one step at a time.

I stayed calm and did not get angry through every tantrum she threw. I talked to her with love and patience even though I wanted to yell. I sat with her in her room during her nap times to make her feel like she wasn’t missing anything. I put my phone on silent and would sit on the floor and play with her. I sat at her little table and ate with her.

I worked on building her confidence while re-establishing her routine. I failed a couple of times but I was determined to keep trying to stay calm and radiate patience.

It took almost 10 days, but it PAID OFF.

No more tantrums before nap or bedtime.

No more refusing to eat or sleep.

No more kicking and screaming every time I ask her to do something.

A complete 180 turn!

The ONE Thing That Stopped the Terrible Twos

The one thing I did to stop the terrible twos was– give my daughter extra love. I re-evaluated the way I was parenting and my emotions.

I exercised an insane amount of patience.

When your toddler acts out, it’s usually because of an emotion they are feeling or an action that triggered an emotion. Instead of just dealing with my toddler’s bad actions, I dealt with why she was feeling that way.

Instead of getting angry and frustrated, I would show compassion and empathy, letting her know I understood what she was feeling.

This didn’t mean I didn’t disciple her for her bad actions, telling her it was okay to yell or throw. But I disciplined in a way that didn’t make her feel worse than she did already.

How to Deal with the Terrible Twos

If you’re truly struggling with terrible two symptoms then I encourage you to try at least 1 of these tactics. These strategies completely helped me kick the terrible twos to the curb!

• Show Extra Love

When your little one is throwing tantrums and flailing their body around like a windmill, give him a hug. When your toddler is screaming at the top of her lungs, give her a kiss.

I know this sounds crazy, but it really works!

You are showing your child sympathy and understanding. Not because you approve of their behavior, but because you want them to feel better. And as you are showing your toddler extra love, be sure to explain that you don’t approve of their behavior, but you are sorry that they are angry (or sad or frustrated).

• Be Patient & Slow to Anger

It’s reaalllyyyy easy to just want to blow up when your baby is in mid-tantrum. Trust me, I’ve done it plenty of times.

But ever since I’ve started to truly exercise patience, my daughter no longer *expects* me to react.

Sometimes I truly think she would do something bad just to get a rise out of me. Instead of giving her my TeKa wrath (you know the big lava monster in Moana, with sweeping red fire arms…), I stay calm.

• Remove Your Child From Things That Would Cause Bad Actions

Sometimes you just have to remove your child from a situation altogether. If you know your toddler screams every time you put the playdoh away, don’t let him play with it for a while in order to not provoke the emotion.

Little actions like this will prevent meltdowns. And then once you feel like your little one is getting better at handling things, you can start introducing it again.

3 Things I’ve Learned

I’ve learned 3 things from this recent experience:

1. Toddlers need more love and attention than we think.

Just when we think they know how much we love them, always show more! That extra tight hug and bedtime kiss help solidify their emotions.

2. Babies THRIVE on schedules and routines.

A schedule and routine will help your child know what their day looks like. It gives them a sense of comfort because they can expect what is going to happen next.

If your child is used to napping and suddenly doesn’t nap, they don’t understand why they feel tired and will act out. A routine also helps you anticipate their needs too!

If you want to find out all the awesome benefits of a schedule for your baby, read this article!

3. Investing more time into the small moments with your children will always pay off.

Bonding is still so important! Spend more time playing with your child and enjoy the little moments. Watch your child as the color. Sit on the floor with them as they play.

The dishes can wait. The laundry can wait. Those moments may seem insignificant, but you are bonding with your child in such a special way.

Download a Free Mommy & Me Planner!

If it wasn’t for the Mommy & Me Planner, I wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint what was making my daughter act out.

I would have just chalked it up to “terrible twos” and accepted that she had changed. But in reality, it was ME who had changed things and it negatively affected her!

The Mommy & Me Planner is a mom planner and baby tracker combo—so you can track your child’s schedule and routine WHILE planning your tasks, all in one place!

The Mommy & Me Planner is 15 FREE pages from the full planner, and I know you will absolutely love it!

Get the Free Mini Planner now!

So, if you’re experiencing your own meltdown and your baby suddenly went from angel to terror, I’m right there with ya!

Put in the time to give them some extra love and be patient and slow to anger. I know it seems like it’s absolutely impossible sometimes, but it will really pay off!

Remember, sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest impact.

A week ago, I thought I was doomed to live in the land of terrible twos. And today, I’m sitting at my table with a cup of coffee watching Hallmark Christmas movies while my daughter is napping. Tantrum-free.

Don’t lose hope and know that you’re doing a great job.

You got this, mama!

Want To read more posts about #toddlerlife? Check out these articles!

• The Perfect Toddler Daily Routine to Prevent Tantrums
• The Best Toddler Morning Activities to Keep Them Busy
• How to Create Your Own Toddler Screen Time Rules

Inside: Worried about screen time? Find out how to create your own screen time rules for toddler plus read 15 real-life screen time examples from moms!

The cringing words — screen time.

When I was a new mom, everyone I knew pounded me about the dangers of screen time. Everywhere you look, everyone has something to say about screen time.

“Don’t let your baby have screen time until 4 years old”. “Screen time causes your kid to act out”. “Make sure your TV is always off when your child is home”.

And on and on and on…

One thing I’ve learned since being a mother is— only YOU can decide what rules you are going to set for your child. Of course, you want the best for your child, but you know what’s best based on your family’s lifestyle.

So today I’m going to share with you the 3 steps you can take to help you create your own screen time rules for your toddler. To help you create your screen time rules, I’ll also show you 15 different screen time rules from different moms.

These are real-life screen time rules by real moms!

That’s why this post isn’t about what you should or should not do…it’s about celebrating our differences as parents and how to create your own rules!

There’s no passing judgment or eye-rolling because as moms, we are just trying to raise our kids as best as we can. And we all deserve a pat on the back 🙂

Before we jump into those 3 steps, to help you get a handle on your everyday tasks while managing a toddler, download my FREE mini mom planner — it’s my gift to you!

Let’s get down to it!

How to create your own screen time rules for toddler

Step 1: do your research

If someone is telling you something that you should or should not do, politely respect and acknowledge their opinion and then go research it for yourself. Don’t take what someone is saying as fact.

It very well may be a fact, but you want to know it for yourself…not just because someone said it.

Step 2: Make a decision

Once you know for yourself what you believe and don’t believe, draw your own conclusion about how you feel about screen time.

Maybe you’re okay with an episode a day. Or maybe you just want to allow it on the weekends.

Only you can say what is too much and what is too little.

Of course, there are extreme cases where you don’t want your 2-year-old glued to the tv for 8 hours a day. That’s probably not what’s best for him. So, take moderation into consideration.

My daughter had to have head surgery when she was 20 months old. We were in the hospital for 4 days and she was miserable. She had 2 iv’s in her arms and one in her foot. She barely ate or slept.

The only way she would sleep in that hospital is if I let her watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my phone. And you know what, I didn’t even mind!

All that mattered to me was that she was happy at that moment and that she was sleeping.

When we came home and during her recovery process, she continued to watch those episodes because it brought her comfort in her time of misery.

This may be an extreme case but the principle rings true. Only YOU can decide what is acceptable for your child to watch. Not your friend, not your mom, not Instagram—you 🙂

Also, what does screen time mean to your family? Does it mean no phones or tablets? Or no Tv at all?

Working through your options and being as specific as possible will help you create your own screen rime rules.

Step 3: trust & willingness

Once you make a decision about what your child can and cannot do, trust your decision. Maybe it’ll only work out for a week and you see that you have to change it.

You don’t have to answer to anyone for your choices as a parent, as long as you are doing what it best for your child and making changes as necessary.

Trust yourself that you know what’s best and be willing to change when needed.

These are the 2 biggest struggles with parenting!

I would want to curl up and die of embarrassment when someone visited my house and my daughter was watching her shows. I felt like they were judging me for letting her watch tv. But I trusted myself and my decision and saw that she was learning from it!

But when I saw that my daughter was getting cranky and irritable if she wasn’t watching her show at a certain time, I took a step back and pivoted by screen time rule.

Motherhood is all about confidence and being willing to change 🙂

Related Reading:

• How to Easily Keep Your House Clean With a Toddler
• The Best Toddler Activities & Routine for an Easy Morning  
• How to Create a Simple & Awesome Daily Toddle Schedule

Real Life Screen Time Rules

So now that you know how to create your own screen time rules for your toddler, here are 15 real examples from different moms!

Maddie Morrow

“I don’t have a set amount of screen time for my two-year-old. As long as I’m not seeing adverse effects (stops responding when I talk to him, etc) I’m ok with it.

He watches cartoons (Sesame Street, Pooh Bear) basically all he wants but 95% of the time is also building blocks, race cars, trains etc, so not just staring at the tv.

For the iPad, I’m a bit more particular, since it’s close to his eyes. For that, it’s about 1 hr a day, broken up into segments. He watches color and counting videos, or videos about specific animals, cars, etc.”

SoCal Fun Family

“My kids get 1 show on the weekdays after homework and chores are done. We call Fridays, free-day Friday– where, as long as their room is clean they can have unlimited screentime unless doing something. Saturday, they get 1-2 hours after chores are done. None on Sunday.”

Millennial Mom Confessions

“My kid has been watching Sesame Street since he was about 4 months old and he LOVES it. It has become part of our daily routine and I wouldn’t change that for a minute!

I know he’s learning and I think that show does a terrific job of addressing prevalent issues.”

 Manda

“We used to give the kids the freedom of however long until it became an issue. We moved to one hour a day on their Ipad for 10 and 7. If they don’t do their morning chores or disobey us, we take 5 minutes away per offense.”

Katie from Mrs. Wentworth

“Sometimes screen time is literally the only way I can eat a hot meal. We’ve limited my 7 to long car rides or trips and she gets it for quiet time before bed. My 1-year-old gets it more but he’s really not interested unless it Thomas so maybe 5 minutes 3 times a day.”

Brittney

“I don’t have a problem with screen time because he enjoys learning. So, if he’s watching videos about shapes and ABC, counting, then as long as he wants. Plus he likes music! But any cartoons, I do 1-2 when it’s not nice outside.”

Magically Martinez

“Our kids get no video games Sunday through Thursday. Minimal family tv on weeknights.”

Arlem Hawks

“The standard for us is one half-hour show per day and a movie on weekends. But there are definitely times we let them have more (such as when I have deadlines for projects or I/they sick)

They don’t do any sort of phone or computer time right now. They’re still pretty young.”

Sound Mama

“Our son used to scream in the car for hours so we decided to give him a phone to distract him. But it became a crutch every time after he would scream until we gave him the phone. So we cut back on screen time for a week or two…

No more tech in the car for drives less than 3 hours. We try to go outside before we resort to screens. And if for some reason we need extra screen time (to help us get stuff done) we do signing time or Spanish nursery rhymes videos.”

I love hearing from real moms and real-life issues! Sometimes we can get to detached from reality that we don’t know what we even believe about a topic anymore. And I feel screen time is definitely one of those taboo topics.

Laurie Umlaf

“No real rules – once their homework if any Is done, I offer alternatives- I’ll play a game or cards, puzzles, help with dinner, take a walk, read to me while I get dinner ready. Then close to bedtime they can have screen time. They usually fall asleep soon after. my kids usually prefer the alternative activities over screen time.”

Alexis Lewandowski

“My son is 2 and I use screen time 2 ways

1. to occupy him while I do chores

2. some days when he doesn’t nap but I need to rest we watch cartoons/movies together.”

 

For Birthday Grownups  

“Am I desperate to have breakfast without talking to someone? Screen time

Do I need to make dinner without crotch goblins all over me? Screen time

Pretty much we restrict WHAT we will let them watch and try to ad not to go overboard.

…I have twin 3 year-olds.”

Mrs.Plan Ahead

“I let my oldest play games and educational games daily. Some days we are so busy we forget all about the tablet. But to relax after dinner since school is busy for a little while is fine by me.”

Stumbling Through Wonderland

“Must be educational to some degree. Out at dinner, so we can enjoy a meal. If I’m trying to do chores at home the tv is on but he’s usually still playing.”

Stephanie Creaser

“None until their rooms are clean. They often find something to play with while cleaning anyway.”

That’s it!

When you know what is best for your child, you’ll create screen time rules and parameters that fit your child!

Moral of the story is–  screen time doesn’t HAVE to be bad. And you shouldn’t feel judged if you do allow your child to have screen time.

Every mom is different. Every child is different. And you know your child best–what is healthy and what isn’t.

Now, when someone asks me, “oh you let your daughter watch tv?”…

I confidently reply, “Yes, her screen time reinforces what we learn during our reading time.”

Don’t Forget Your Free Mom Tracker!

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Give yourself a gold star mama, you’re doing great!

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I think you’ll love these articles too!

• How to Easily Keep Your House Clean With a Toddler
• The Best Toddler Activities & Routine for an Easy Morning  
• How to Create a Simple & Awesome Daily Toddle Schedule

Inside: Want to keep your toddler busy? Find out the best morning routine and easy toddler morning activities to help keep your baby engaged and having fun!

It was 6:30 in the morning and my toddler was standing at the foot of my bed with Playdoh in her hands. She was eagerly ready to play…and I barely was able to keep my eyes open.

One thing I quickly learned about toddler life is — toddlers are so vivacious in the morning!

In order to keep my sanity, I started coming up with different toddler morning activities to engage her to learn but also keep her busy.

Because let’s face it, sometimes you have to keep your little one busy so you can get stuff done 🙂

If you’re looking for some fun and easy toddler morning activities and a rockin’ morning routine then you’ve come to the right place!

This morning routine, including the toddler morning activities, is the perfect mix of independent play and one on one playtime to help your toddler learn and keep your toddler busy.

To help create your own toddler morning routine, I created a free printable for you to download and follow along!

So let’s get down to it!

The Perfect Toddler Morning Routine

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I truly believe the success of any day with a toddler strongly depends on the routine. Babies love routine and predictability so once they get into a routine and rhythm they like, they thrive!

I’ve tested several toddler morning routines (with weeks of trial and error) and this one has been the best so far!

7:00 am: Wake

Your morning routine will fluctuate around what time your toddler wakes up. Some toddlers wake up at 6 and some toddlers wake up at 8. Time doesn’t matter—the routine can be followed no matter what time you start it.

7:30 am: Breakfast

I like to involve my daughter in the breakfast routine. She helps me get the bowls out and prepares her little table.

I’m a stay at home mom so she’s starting to see and replicate my “homemaking” qualities! So cute 🙂

8:00 am- 9:30 am: One on One Playtime

I usually try to fit 2-3 activities into this time. (See different activities below!)

I strongly believe in the bonding between parent and child and having 1-2 hours each morning where you are having one on one time with your toddler is so important!

It also boosts their mood and confidence, which is such a delight to see. Since I’ve started sitting with my daughter every morning to play with her for 2 hours, she has completely transformed. She listens to instructions SO much better!

Making playtime with your child intentional is like sowing a seed and seeing the fruit later. Those 1-2 hours every morning is going to pay off!

I use 30 minutes of our One on One Playtime for “learning time”. So we read books, go over the alphabet, colors, numbers. As Baby L gets older, I’m trying to incorporate learning into all of our one on one playtime activities. Be sure to see the exact activities I use below!

Just remember to make one on one time as special as possible. Try to turn off your phone and give your toddler your undivided attention. It’s really hard but so worth it!

BONUS: Get the FREE Toddler Morning Activity Routine Download so you can follow these activities! It also comes with a “create your own routine” template so you can write down your own morning routine! Click here to GET IT NOW!

9:30- 10:30 am: Independent Playtime

I love independent playtime because it teaches your toddler that you don’t have to be sitting next to them in order to play. Some toddlers will freak out if their mom walks away and then will follow her.

It’s great to start a healthy balance between playtime with mom and independent playtime.

When your toddler engages in independent play they are stretching their imagination and creativity.

Plus, it helps you get things done without your toddler clinging on to your leg the whole day!

See my fun independent activities below that you can fill this time with!

10:30- 11:00 am: Chores

I love to teach my children chores at an early age. Toddlers can start to help you around the house!

I like to include my toddler in easy chores that teaches her directions and responsibility.

Easy commands like…

“please take this napkin to the trash”

“help mommy pick up the clothes”

“put your toys in the basket”

…can really help your toddler learn new words and understand directions.

Some chores I like to teach my toddler are:

• Toy clean up (I ask her to put the toys away in the bin)
• Laundry folding (I ask her to hand each article of clothing to me)
• Drying dishes (I give her a little towel and plastic dishes to dry)

There are chores she can’t help with, but I do those chores when she is having her independent play and take advantage of this time to show her how she can help around the house 🙂

11:00- 11:30 am: Educational Show

Some parents don’t allow their toddler any screen time or TV at all. That’s perfectly okay!

I personally like certain education shows because ever since Baby L started watching them, she has learned her nursery rhymes and sounds.

I really like the “Mother Goose Club”. You can find it on YouTube Kids for free or on Netflix.

I also really LOVE the LeapFrog Letter Factory. It’s a DVD that I ordered on Amazon that teaches kids the sounds of each letter of the alphabet. It’s so cute and so much fun.

In a matter of a week, my daughter was sounding A-D. I was so proud of her!

I use the educational shows to reinforce what I teach her during our one on one playtime and “teaching” time.

Do some research and choose educational shows that you like best!

11:30/12:00: Lunch

While Baby L is watching her educational show, I start to make Lunch. This schedule works perfectly!

12:30 pm: Nap

After lunch, we have a “wind-down” time to prepare for a nap. Then we do our naptime routine and she naps for 2 hours!

And that wraps up the morning routine!

Want to see what my full day looks like with my toddler?? Read all about my simple & awesome daily routine here!

Let’s dive into the different activities that you can do with your little one.

Toddler Activities:

You can use the activities for any time of the day, not just morning. I usually recycle some activities throughout the day to fill in any dead spots so she doesn’t get bored.

I found that bored/un-entertained toddler = tantrums

So, I like to keep my toddler busy with fun things to do all day! These are also EASY activities that won’t cost too much money or take up ALL of your time.

Reading

My family loves books! We started reading to Baby L when she was 4 months old. She loved to follow the pictures and words so we added book time to her bedtime routine and she’s been in love with books ever since. Every morning we read her favorite books and go over her favorite pictures.

I add reading/books in our one on one playtime and she plays with books for her independent time too!

Favorite Books:

Playdoh

I wasn’t always a fan of playdoh. When I was a teacher for 2-year-olds, all my kids did was eat and throw playdoh at each other.

So when I had my daughter, I swore I wouldn’t let her play with playdoh!

But we recently went away with the in-laws and my mother in law gave Baby L some playdoh to play with. She had so much fun!

So my heart has been melted and now I’m back on the playdoh train.

She only plays with it during our one on one playtime and not during independent play. I’m sure once Baby L gets older, she’ll be able to handle the playdoh by herself 🙂

These are our favorite Playdoh accessories:

Coloring

I love color time! We use a variety of different materials during our coloring time.

When Baby L was under 2, we bought her the Color Wonder Mess Free markers and coloring book so if she colored on the table or her clothes it wouldn’t show up.

You can find those materials here:

It’s seriously a gift from God to parents!

Now we use washable markers, coloring pencils, and crayons. Each week I’ll try to do a fun coloring activity to change it up a bit. This week we colored huge Disney Princess floor coloring sheets. Last week I bought a cardboard house that we built that she had so much fun coloring all week.

As a stay at home mom, you gotta keep it interesting so the kids don’t get stir crazy and rob your sanity!

Water Play

Baby L LOVED playing in the water. We don’t have a backyard or water table so I fill up the bathroom sink with some water and create a “makeshift” water table.

I bought her a play sink and play dishes and she pretends to wash dishes and plays with the water.

It can get a little messy so I always put a towel on the floor!

Educational Toys

I absolutely LOVE educational toys! From old wooden ones to Vtech alphabet laptops—Baby L loves them all.

I like to have certain playtimes to be without electronic toys, so she can use her imagination and learn to play with things that don’t always light up and talk. (This playtime is usually before her nap)

But then there are other playtimes that we give her educational laptops and keyboards. (This is usually after her nap.)

I found from experience that toddlers respond best when you give them a few toys to play with and choose from—and not ALL of their toys.

If your toddler has TOO many toys at once, playtime can become overloaded and unproductive. But only giving your toddler a category of toys per playtime can be really beneficial!

Here are some of my favorite educational toys:

Wooden Train

Play Kitchens

Play “working stations”

Alphabet laptop

Vtech Learning Table

Play Piano

Grab your Free Toddler Morning Routine Printable!

Want to follow this awesome toddler morning routine?? Don’t forget to download the Free Toddler Morning Routine Printable! It includes a printable toddler routine PLUS a routine template for your to create our own!

So there you have it! By using these activities and routine, I was finally about to keep up with my vivacious toddler!

Now you can keep your toddler busy every morning with this perfect routine and fun activities.

You got this mama!

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Inside: Overwhelmed with household duties and keeping up with a toddler?? I can help! Here are 4 easy ways to keep your house clean with a toddler all day!

Ever finish cleaning your living room and turned your head for 2 seconds to find that it’s apocalyptic again?

Keeping your house clean with a toddler is NOT easy!

You’re probably thinking that having a clean house with a toddler is an impossible oxymoron. But I’m here to tell you that keeping your house clean even with a toddler is totally possible, and can even be easy!

Just because you have a toddler (or several!) doesn’t mean you have to settle for living in messy, unorganized chaos. If you’re overwhelmed with keeping your house tidy, staying on top of your chores AND taking care of your children, this is for you!

The key to keeping your house clean with a toddler is to stay ahead of the game and use your time wisely. You may be thinking that I’m crazy because this is impossible to do…

But I’m going to show you 4 different ways HOW you can EASILY keep your house clean with a toddler!

4 Ways to Easily Keep Your House Clean

1. Always clean up before starting a new activity

I personally found that this is CRUCIAL in keeping your house clean.

It’s also the first thing we forget to do as busy moms. But trust me, it will save your sanity!

When you’re finished with an activity, always clean up before moving on to another activity. I love this rule because it applies to every single activity you can possibly do every day.

This rule not only helps you eliminate messes all over the place, but it also helps you manage messes throughout the day.

One thing I know to be true as a busy mom is that messes tend to escalate because you are so busy moving from one place to the next. But taking the time to clean up before moving on your next activity in the day will save you SO. MUCH. TIME.

For example, you can spend well over an hour cleaning up 10 different messes after your kids go to sleep. OR you can spend 2-5 minutes after each activity during the day cleaning up.

By using your time wisely, this gives you a whole extra hour every night!

Side Note: Cleaning can be what YOU want it to be. If you’re perfectly fine with your house being a little unkept but somewhat clean, that’s what you aim for. If you’re fine with toys being messy but all in one place, then that’s what you do.

Don’t try to “clean” and be “perfect” just because you think that’s what people want. Only you know how much you do during the day so you decide how far your cleaning will go!

2. Involve your toddler in chores

Another really smart way to keep your house clean with a toddler is to actually teach your toddler how to clean!

It seems so simple but it’s brilliant.

Teaching your toddler to clean up after themselves is not only beneficial to you but it also begins to teach them responsibility. It also put in place a new routine for them to follow.

When you’re done playing with something, put it away.

You can start to show your toddler how to clean up well before they are 2. They won’t be able to actually DO a lot of it, but they are absorbing what you are doing and learning it.

This doesn’t just apply to toys but can be anything! Teach your toddler to help you fold clothes, dry plastic dishes, sweep and even give them a handheld vacuum.

Teaching your toddler to clean will help you not only keep the house clean but you have a little helper. Use it to your advantage!

3. Have a cleaning system in place

If you read my blog and know anything about me, you know I am all about systems of organization, schedules, and routines. I believe these 3 things are the cogs in a well-functioning household!

I’m not a total neat freak and my house is NOT “spit spot” clean, but having a cleaning system in place helps my family know 1. Where everything goes and 2. How to complete certain house chores.

This system truly keeps my household clean, pretty much by itself. Once you set up the system, all you have to do it follow it and it sort of becomes on autopilot.

And it will save you SO MUCH time and save you some future headaches.

You don’t have to get crazy with a cleaning system. It doesn’t have to be rocket science and perfect. It just needs to work for you and your family.

For example, a simple cleaning system or cleaning routine is to make sure that when you get home, everyone takes off their shoes, puts them in their proper place and hang up their jackets on a hook.

This saves you from cleaning up tons of shoes on the floor and picking up jackets from random places throughout your house.

Another cleaning system is to do the dishes before you go to bed every night. OR have each person wash the dish that they are putting in the sink. This reduces the high pile of dishes you’ll have every night.

See…super easy!

BONUS: Don’t forget to grab your copy of the FREE mini Mommy & Me Tracker! Get the instant download to Plan, Track & Organize you and your toddler’s activities in one easy to use planner! CLICK HERE to get it now!

4. Find ways to do everyday chores in a simpler way

I am a HUGE believer in finding simple ways to do everyday tasks. If it saves me a minute, then I am doing it. Why? Because I’m a busy mom, wearing a million different hats!

Finding simple ways to complete everyday chores will take the stress out of actually completing the chore.

For example, do you hate to clean your baseboards? Buy a Swiffer and put a regular paper towel on it and just go up and down your hallways cleaning the baseboards.

Does your toddler love to eat Cheerios? But then you find yourself stepping on random bits of cereal or crackers throughout the day? Instead of bringing out your big vacuum, buy a cheap handheld vacuum! It’ll take 2 seconds to suck up food on the floor!

Do you dread figuring out what you’re going to make for dinner every night or hate going to the store to buy groceries? Start to meal plan!

(I have an awesome post to help you meal plan for the entire week in just 10 minutes. Read it here!)

Finding easier ways to do simple things in your house will not only keep you sane and save you time, but you’ll find that because things are easier to do your house will be better kept up!

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The Mommy & Me Mom Planner is a 10-page, all-in-one resource to help you easily plan your days, weeks, and months all while tracking your baby’s schedule, feedings, naps, and activities!

I designed the planner to help you:

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• Focus on your day to day tasks, including to-do lists, appointments, and chores so you never forget to do anything!
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So there you have it! Here are 4 different ways to keep your house clean with a toddler. Remember, no one can define what “clean” means for you, so take these suggestions and create a cleaning system that works for you and your family!

Here’s a recap…

The 4 rules to keep your house clean with a toddler:

1. Before starting a new activity, clean up after the old one.
2. Teach your toddler how to clean up and help you complete chores
3. Create your own system and routines for cleaning
4. Find ways to do everyday house chores in the easiest way possible

Don’t forget, the key to keeping your house clean with a toddler is to stay ahead of the game and use your time wisely.

Say goodbye to the apocalyptic living room and hello to an organized system to make your life easier 🙂

Have any other rules or tips that you do to help you stay on top of your house chores with a toddler?? Feel free to drop them in the comments below!

Check out these other toddler tips posts!

• Best Toddler Screen Time Tips: How to Create your Own Rules
• The Best Toddler Morning Activities and Easy Routine

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Inside: Want each day with your toddler to be a breeze? Find out the 3 toddler routines to help you prevent meltdowns!

Say goodbye to tantrums! ….and….it’s not as hard as you may think either 🙂

One of the best ways to ensure that every day is a great day for your toddler is to make sure you have these 3 routines!

Routines are amazing because it gives your baby stability, predictability, comfort, and also helps your child have an overall schedule for their day. This will help your baby not only have an overall schedule for their day but also help them anticipate and expect each day’s activities!

Don’t be discouraged by the word “routine”. A routine can be as simple or as complicated as YOU want it to be. But simply, a routine is a series of actions that are performed consistently and daily. See- that doesn’t sound hard at all!

Here are the 3 toddler routines your child needs:

1. Feeding Routine
2. Nap Routine
3. Bedtime Routine

So let’s get down to the details of these routines!

The 3 Toddler Routines

1. Feeding Routine

The first toddler routine that you should start is a feeding routine. A feeding routine is the easiest routine to start and implement because feedings are more consistent than any other daily activity.

A toddler feeding routine can be super simple! All you have to do is before each feeding, start a consistent action to signal to your toddler that they are about to eat.

The goal of this routine is to help your toddler know that when they start to see you do this action, or when you tell them to do a specific action, that it is time to eat.

This routine can be as simple as you setting up the high chair and telling your toddler to jump in, put on their bib, and give them a spoon. Or you can add more steps to the routine, like your toddler stepping on a stool to help you prepare the meal. This can all be a part of a routine!

Your toddler needs this feeding routine because it will help them know that it is time to eat. Not only will they know that it’s food time, but it will also help them mature and develop patience and understanding.

Having a feeding routine also helps with the flexibility of your toddler schedule.

If you are able to do the feeding routine anywhere you go, to visit a family member’s house, to eat out at a restaurant, or even to go on vacation- when you start the routine, your toddler will know it’s food time!

2. Nap routine

A nap routine, in my opinion, is the most important toddler routine. Why? Because it not only affects their naps but can also affect their bedtime sleep. Making sure your toddler naps consistently and the correct length for their age is SO important.

A nap routine can help your toddler be able to nap longer and at consistent times each day. When your toddler is napping, it benefits their whole day!

Just like with the feeding routine, a nap routine will enable your toddler to sleep anywhere, as long as that routine is in place!

If you’re convinced of the importance of a nap routine, you might be wondering “ok so what does a nap routine look like?”.

I worked really hard on my daughter’s nap routine and tried what felt like a million different trial and errors to get it right. But once I FINALLY found the perfect nap routine, she not only began to take long naps but also started taking consistent naps and started sleeping better during the night within ONE week!

I wanted to share my nap routine with you! Because it is detailed, I decided to write it in the form of a PDF download for you to download and print and make your own! This nap routine is so flexible and can be adjusted to your family.

Because of the miracle of a nap routine, I can take my daughter on road trips, vacations, to spend the night at family’s homes, and she STILL naps like if she is at home because of the nap routine that we have in place. Be sure to get your copy of the nap routine below!

3. Bedtime routine

The third toddler routine that you need is a bedtime routine. I love bedtime routines because they can be comforting and truly individualized for each of your children.

One of my favorite times during my day is when I am snuggling and cuddling with my daughter before bedtime. I enjoy making her smile and laugh each night!

As your toddler develops and grows he/she will begin to remember those warm and happy moments before bedtime. I always love to end the day with a smile!

A bedtime routine is not only fun and can be a fantastic daily family bonding time, but it also helps your toddler sleep better!

Bedtime routines are so crucial because it helps your baby know it is bedtime, helps them fall asleep faster, and ultimately stay asleep longer!

Having a consistent bedtime routine will improve your toddler’s nighttime sleep and even improve their days. Because when your child is well-rested, they are happier!

I also created a sample bedtime routine to help you start your own routine! Grab a copy of it now!

>> Well there you have it! Now you know the 3 toddler routines that are super important and that can make every day an awesome day for your child. Remember, routines are amazing because it gives your baby stability, predictability, comfort, and also helps your child have an overall schedule for their day.

Don’t forget the 3 routines:

1. feeding routine
2. nap routine
3. bedtime routine

If you need help starting these routines feel free to access my free resource library and get your very own sample routines so you can start them with your toddler. Access my the free routines in my resource library by filling out the form below!

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, FREE, private access to my resource library filled with printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

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