Tears and tantrums
As you've probably found out by now, you don't need to wait until the terrible twos to start seeing tantrums. The smallest thing can overwhelm a one year old and cause the tears to start.
How should you handle it?
Right now, reprimands are unlikely to have any affect. Your toddler is just too young to be able to control their emotions.
Probably the best thing to do is just be there to offer comfort and support. Your little one won't always be able to express what it is that's upset them at this age, but don't worry unduly about that. Often these are just tears of frustration, and before you know it the little episode will be forgotten and they'll be bright as buttons once again.
Your toddler is probably also becoming more coordinated and is now able to use a spoon or fork to feed themselves (and make less mess than previously!). Likewise they can probably now stack building blocks, so building towers (and then knocking them down) is a great game.
You'll probably also find that your toddler is dexterous enough to turn the pages of a book so at story time encourage them to turn the page at the appropriate point.
If you haven't done so already you might like to try to teach your toddler to brush their own teeth. It's a big step so of course you'll need to make sure you're keeping a close eye on them to make sure that they're doing it properly; but you'll find that once they've learned a new skill like that they'll be pleased as punch with themselves.
Play & Pretend
This simplified version of Hide and Seek is great fun and guaranteed to raise a giggle from your little one!
