17-Month-Old Child

There’s no “best” age to get your child’s ears pierced, but there are benefits to waiting until she’s older — at least until the age of 4, and preferably until she’s closer to 8, when she can take care of her pierced ears herself.

For starters, infections are fairly common in the first few months after a piercing, among people of all ages. And even if the infection is only mild, your toddler can’t tell you that her ear is itchy or sore, so she may be uncomfortable until you’re aware of it. 

There’s also a chance that she could be allergic to some of the metals in earrings, or, worse, manage to take off her earring and put it in her mouth, causing her to choke on or swallow it.

Still, if your heart is set on tiny studs for your tiny princess — hoops or dangling earrings can be pulled out — know that ear piercing is a totally safe procedure as long as it’s done in a sterile environment by someone who’s qualified.

You’ll have to clean your child’s ear lobes every day with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol and rotate the earrings a few times a day to keep them from sticking to the holes.

There’s nothing cuter than watching a toddler bob up and down to a beat. But it gets better: Soon enough, she’ll be adding even more moves to her routine — hip swaying, spinning, bouncing. 

To encourage your little dancer to get her groove on, turn on some music and have a dance party. Experiment with different beats and genres to see what your toddler does and what she likes. Maybe your little one sways softly to classical tunes or claps along to country. Or maybe your toddler seems to have a preference for pop or R&B. 

You can also lend your child a prop to dance with, like a small, colorful scarf, or join in on the fun yourself and mimic her moves. Unlike adults, toddlers dance without any inhibitions — so they make great dance partners!

Even if your toddler has been using a utensil for months, chances are, she’s only just started getting the hang of it. In all likelihood, it won’t be until she’s between the ages of 18 and 24 months that she’ll really start to master the movements needed to grasp a spoon or fork by herself.

Until then, you can set her up for success by looking for toddler utensils (different from baby-led-weaning pre-spoons) that are lightweight and easy to lift. Ones with a BPA-free plastic or silicone handle are easier to grasp.

Good foods to spoon include Greek yogurt, oatmeal, mashed potatoes and thick soup. When your toddler is ready to try her fork at spearing foods, try offering her pieces of soft fruit like banana, pasta shells or baked tofu cubes.

Just don’t expect your little one to use her utensils all the time. There will be days when she prefers to eat with her fingers, and that’s just fine too.

Does your toddler hide behind your leg every time a stranger approaches? Far from being a bad thing, a fear of strangers can actually help keep her safe — you won’t have to worry about your toddler walking off with the first unfamiliar person who tries to give her a hug. It’s also a sign of your child’s maturity and ability to form more complex thoughts. 

Granted, after your toddler runs screaming from your sister one too many times, you’re probably more likely to be embarrassed than comforted.

To help your little one warm up to strangers, hold her for as long as she needs while they’re in her company. And the more you can expose your toddler to someone, the more likely she’ll be to relax in their presence. Just don’t push it — your tot will open up when she’s ready.

At this age, your toddler may start clamoring for her very own seat at the table. The move from a high chair to a toddler feeding seat is a big one and often doesn’t happen until the 18-month-to-3-year mark. But whether your tot is ready now or later, you’ll have to choose between one of two options: a dining booster seat or a hook-on high chair.

Some convertible high chairs can turn into dining booster seats, which are fairly portable and take up less space than freestanding high chairs. You’ll have to use the safety straps, though, so your toddler won’t slide out of her seat.

Hook-on high chairs — which clip right onto the table — have their benefits, however: You can sit anywhere there’s a table, and they’re easy to fold. Just pay close attention to the weight recommendation. They tend to hold tots up to 35 pounds, but that number can vary from seat to seat.

And if your toddler is still perfectly happy in her high chair? That’s fine too. Until she’s about 3 years old, there’s no reason to move her.

Is your little one up before the sun? Toddlers are naturally early risers, but there are ways to buy yourself a few more minutes of shut-eye. Here are a few tricks to try:

• Adjust your toddler’s bedtime. If your little one is going to bed early — say, 6:45 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. — she might be waking up too early. Try pushing back bedtime by 10 minutes until she’s drifting off at 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.

• Don’t let your child go to sleep too late. Delaying your toddler’s bedtime too far past the 8 p.m.-mark may just make her overtired — meaning, she won’t sleep well at night and will wake up earlier in the morning.

• Don’t rush right in. Just because your tot is waking up doesn’t mean she won’t put herself down again. Wait about 10 or 15 minutes after she starts stirring before you go into her room to get her. Who knows, she might doze off again (or at least amuse herself for a little while).

Shift naptime. If your toddler is waking up at 5 a.m. but taking a nap at 8 a.m., her morning nap may be too early. Try putting your little one down for a nap 10 minutes later every day until she’s going down at 10 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. instead.

There comes a time when just about every toddler realizes that repeatedly opening and shutting her eyes makes for a fascinating visual experience. 

Maybe she picked it up on her own, or maybe she learned it from a sibling or day care peer — either way, as long as your tot isn’t doing it nonstop or the habit isn’t accompanied by other symptoms, like eye rubbing that isn’t related to sleepiness, your little blinker’s new move will probably just be a passing phase, but check with your doctor if your concerned.