Training Toddlers... Whose job is it anyway?

Well if you live in my home. The answer is clear. It is everyone's job.

Everyone who comes in contact with your toddler will leave an impression. If everyone agrees that it is a No, No to touch the tv screen or the stove when it is hot. Then everyone enforces that idea into your toddler. Your little one will learn quickly and will let you know by their actions.

It is the same with a lot of common sense ideas like running into the street or going near the water or pulling the dogs ears and squeezing the cat.

If everyone corrects the behavior and teaches a good behavior in it's place. The child will learn faster.
And, boy is it a lot easier on mom.

My older children were great at helping me to train Angela. It was a house hold act of humor and elation. We all enjoyed watching her learn and she sure did pick up things quickly.

Angela never used bad words because we taught her to say "Don't use bad words." She corrected everyone in sight. If we were in line at a grocery store and someone said a bad word. She would speak right up and say "Don't say bad words." We usually got an embarrassed smile each time. Believe me she caught mommy a few times.

It is hard to raise pre teens and a toddler too. I had all phases of childhood going on at the same time in our home. When Angela was 2 her older sister was 14. Her brother was 13 and her middle sister was 7. So mom would be fussing at one of the other kids and Angela would come right up and calm me right down with her little "Dirty Word Police" theme. She saved her brother and sisters from a lot of harsh words by melting mommy's heart and making me smile. I would have to regroup and watch my language.

However, I never swore until I had kids. They taught me some dirty words that I never thought would ever come out of my mouth.

Life was usually fun at our house until April would make it seem like we were filming for the Exorsist II in our living room. At times I thought for sure her head would spin and green soup would come spilling out of her.

Even in those times we would divide and conquer. Keeping the other children safe in another room while Aprils violence escalated and then ended.
Usually leaving me rocking her and both of us in tears when it was all said and done.

Toddlers with older siblings always seem to adjust well and learn a lot faster. They love to be near their siblings and will be off on their footsteps in no time. Which in all reality helps mom and helps the older kids to learn responsibility also.

So family toddler training is the way to go. What do you think?