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Is not it interesting what what is actually going on that little toddler’s head? I believe every single one of us are. So, if you are feeling angry or overwhelmed by the daily grind of living with one of the most unpredictable living being on earth, take some notes. These simple facts might just help you to get through difficulties tomorrow.
Child’s memory
Children under the age of seven do not store a lot of memories. Everything for toddlers is new and exciting. They do not have a wealth of experience on how to judge anything. That is why, while our adult brains organise memories all the time, within a framework of how things should work in this world, a child's brain has not yet created any proper framework. So if you would ask some five year old what he has learned today, he would not know what to answer. He probably would say only that he had some fun and that is totally normal.
Do vs understand
Routine is the main key to everything, especially with children. You have probably heard this like a million times, but have you appreciated how important it is? Basically, the toddler brain has not yet made the connections necessary to understand the reason why we do particular things. As a result, when their expectations are not met, toddlers might be lost and do not know what they should do. They do not know how to react, so they get distressed and sound the alarm bells because you have given them a pink pacifier instead of the blue one.
Little but also mighty
The fact that certain connections have not been made yet, does not represent the fact that toddler’s brain is lacking of anything. To be fair, it is far from it. There is actually a lot more connections in a child’s brain than in adult’s. It is not until adolescence that the process of pruning begins, whereby the brain starts losing memories that are not ever activated to be more efficient. In more simple words, it is that when your toddler acts erratically or has trouble sleeping, it is due to too much processing, not too little.
Unknown and fatal for them are the same
It is the ancient safety detection system that has kept humans alive this whole time. This system clears out a bunch of adrenalin when we are in danger, giving us the energy to get out of the difficult situation. The problem is that a young child's brain does not understand or recognize the difference between a lethal threat like snake and a learned human behavior. Children do not know when a thing is harmless, they just know it is unfamiliar for them, which can set them off.
Screaming
You probably would use your scream to if your language skills are limited and your coordination is second to everyone. Having a good scream is probably your best survival mechanism at that moment. Children usually use it to two most common reasons: to get the most possible attention and to scare off predators. Even though it might be annoying, it is quite successful solution to the problem, is not it?
Torture of Food
I believe we found something you will be happy to hear. The reason your toddler is only interested in bland, white food is not because he is a spoiled kid, it is because their taste buds are just extra sensitive. Children have different taste sensations, foods can be more vivid for them, so spinach and broccoli might be more bitter or sharp than it actually is. Let’s take ice cream as an example, little one’s brain likes it because it is high energy, so treats will be sought out.
One more thing we believe you should be aware of. It is not their intention to make you angry. It is a fact they do not mean it. They surely do not want to keep you up all night, perhaps ruin your schedule or make your life actively harder. When in doubt, just think about how crazy and messed up your own head is and that you knew what it waiting for you just from the beginning.