Dealing with Annoying Behavior in Toddlers

One of the unspoken challenges of parenting a toddler is the difficulty of addressing annoying behavior. We parents know to lavish our toddlers with praise when they're being good, and to firmly act with authority when they behave in ways that are unacceptable. But annoying behaviors are in a category all their own. Harshly punishing an annoying behavior is cruel, but parents shouldn't be left to endure hours of whining or pestering from their toddlers. Fortunately, dealing with annoying behaviors in toddlers can be easy if you know a few tricks. Here are some ways you can manage your toddler's irritating antics.

Acknowledge your Toddler's Interests

My daughter had a habit of reciting her favorite books when she was a toddler. While I was glad that she was so interested in books, it's hard to focus on a task or chat with a friend when your two-year-old is reciting "Go Dog Go" in your ear. One of the ways that I addressed this annoying behavior was by validating her feelings-- "You really, really like that book!" and giving her space and praise for her interests. But I would also tell her that, if she needed to recite the whole book, she should do so in her room.

Encourage Expression

Your toddler's been whining for the last ten minutes about how much he wants candy. But, because he's still just a toddler, it's coming out as a string of whines, grunts, and points. In cases like this, a toddler's annoying behavior is caused by irritation with his own ability to communicate, not just with his desire to have something he can't have. The solution is to express your child's needs yourself: "You want that candy! You like candy. We can't have candy, though. How sad!" Often, the whining will cease once your toddler's heard his thoughts expressed.

Ignore Your Toddler

All parents of toddlers hear this advice frequently, and with good reason. Few tactics are as effective for managing annoying toddler behaviors. When you simply refuse to give your toddler the attention he demands through his annoying behaviors, you give him the message that the behaviors don't work. By separating yourself from your toddler through a mommy time-out, you can also give yourself time to cool off so you don't discipline him inappropriately. After you've explained why your toddler's behavior annoys you, simple tune him out and don't give in to the behavior.

Although fun, sweet, cute, and lovable, toddlers can also be profoundly annoying in a way that no other age group can rival. If your toddler is doing something that irritates you but doesn't quite cross the boundary into unacceptability, take control of the situation to put a stop to the behavior without harsh punishment. If your toddler's annoying behavior is frequent or unmanageable, talk to his pediatrician for advice.