Wednesday, October 16, 2013

10 Things I've Learned About Parenting Toddlers

Toddlerhood: such a fun age and so maddening at the same time! In the quadruplet community, kids in this phase are affectionately referred to as "Quaddlers." I've definitely learned a few key things, and it's a little scary to think of everything else that I'm sure is coming my way in the near future!

10 Things I've Learned About Parenting Toddlers

  1. You might as well give up now on keeping everyone else from catching what the first kid is sick with.
  2. They want to eat. All of the time. Regardless of how tired you are.
  3. Whatever they aren’t allowed to get into will always be the primary thing they want to get into.
  4. According to kids, the best time to have dance parties is at 2:30am.
  5. When faced with going to bed or staying up because the kids are finally asleep and the house is quiet, you really stop to weigh your options. Both are a commodity that you don’t have enough of.
  6. Someone staying with the kids for 10 minutes so that you can run through the Sonic Happy Hour Drive-Through by yourself is seriously a mini-vacation.
  7. It doesn’t matter how much you baby proof, they will either learn to climb, figure out how to escape, or use the force to get whatever you put out of reach.
  8. It can be exactly the same food that they ate and loved yesterday, but if it’s a different shape today, then it’s a no go.
  9. Optimal pooping time is right as they are being loaded into the car.
  10. Mealtime facials will always occur right before a new friend and his mom come over to play or a photo shoot is scheduled to happen.
And a Bonus!
   11.  That stuffed bunny is worth 50x it’s weight in gold. It's worth buying a back-up off of Ebay.

I'm sure you have more to add to my list. What have you learned about parenting toddlers?


  1. I only have 1 toddler at the moment, but I totally agree with these! 5 and 6 are my favorite!

  2. These are great! Even though my boys are 4, I can totally relate to #5. Which reminds me, I should really get to bed...

  3. You are amazing parenting four at once--I wouldn't even want to parent one!

  4. I don't have kids, but I do know that when I am around my 18 mo nephew all these things happen and I question how my sister does it. You and Sean are ROCKSTARS! Ps. love the pic of you and the kiddos at the top. :)

  5. Very true! Especially #5. My twins are chaos at this age, I can't imagine having 4 this age! A couple more from me-

    *They have to flood the bathroom every time they get a bath (which as you know may be a couple times a day from how messy they get!). My bathroom has the cleanest floor in the house because it's constantly getting drenched in water for me to clean up.

    *And to go along with the bathroom- toilet paper is not allowed to stay on the roll, it's either in a pile on the floor or they try to flush the whole thing down the toilet with anything else available (we had to remove our toilet to get a toy hot dog out a few months ago).

    *Even if you have multiple toys that are exactly the same, they will fight over the same one.

    *Any time they can take off their diaper, they will. If it's poopy, they will play with it. (My boys still have to be pinned into their zippered PJs)

    *Markers are obviously made to create temporary tattoos or wall art, not draw on paper.

  6. In reference to #9, I find that my children most clearly (and loudly) communicate this time when we are in a crowded grocery store line, library, or other area around "the public".

    "Moooom, I gotta go poooop!". I have accepted that this will ultimately give someone a laugh for the day, and that's fine with me. :)

    Also, to Kara above, I give used towels another use before washing by lining my bathroom floor liberally during bathtime. Easier than the constant reminders to "quit splashing!". :)

  7. The 11 items above are spot on! I know what's it like with 1 kiddo, let alone 4 at the same age... :)

    Great tip! "I give used towels another use before washing by lining my bathroom floor liberally during bathtime. Easier than the constant reminders to "quit splashing!"." -- I will have to try that! I get tired of telling my daughter to "quit splashing" or "keep the water in the tub".

  8. Love it! We really relate to #7. Baby proofing/toddler proofing lasts as long as it takes for them to figure out how to undo it!



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