Running around after your energetic toddler might seem like enough exercise, but you still need focused activity for full fitness. Exercising with your toddler can benefit you both.

There are several good reasons to exercise with your young child. First, you need the exercise for stamina, fitness, and stress relief. Second, your child needs it as a way to deal with all of the energy that comes with the new-found freedom of walking and running. Finally, you are creating habits for life. Canada’s Physical Activity Guidelines suggest that children need at least 90 minutes per day of activity, and adults need at least 30 minutes of activity a day, including muscle strengthening. We all need to get active to stay healthy.

Make deliberate exercise a part of your child’s routine every day, and activity will become part of the fabric of your child’s life. You are creating patterns of health and fitness both through your child’s experience and through the behavior you model.

Exercising with a toddler differs from exercising with a baby. Your toddler can stand, so your activities can be separate. Your toddler can drift away, so you need to make the activities interesting enough to keep a busy little person’s attention. Your toddler has begun to develop personal preferences, so you need to tailor activities to each child.

Tips for Toddler Exercises

• Make it developmentally appropriate. Don’t rely on memorizing anything, and be prepared to be silly.
• Keep it short. A very young child probably won’t stay interested longer than 10-15 minutes, so you might want to do your own warm up and cool down alone and the vigorous exercise together.
• Alternate bursts of activity with quieter periods. Yoga can be a great tool to help a busy toddler slow down, but some will get bored and resistant if you spend too much time on one slow activity. Try a slow-paced stretching activity or visualization exercise after a tiring activity.
• Keep it interesting. Don’t do the same routine every day. Show up with surprises to keep attention and vary the activity.
• Keep it playful. Don’t make this like work for your child. Everything is play for a very young child. Turn on the music and dance. Make it fun.

Image © Yanlev | Dreamstime.com

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Toddlers are ready to have a good time. Even those children who would rather sit on their mothers’ laps during a party will often have a good time observing the fun from that safe spot.

The secret to a successful birthday party for toddlers is flexibility. Have a plan B and plan C to accommodate the ever changing moods of your little guests.

Toddler Birthday Party Themes

Toddlers are not ready to follow a metaphor too far, so keep the theme simple until they are older. Choose one of your child’s favorite things and nudge it just a little further to create some unexpected fun.

Very Hungry Toddlerpillars

Decorations. Bugs can lean toward fun and icky or dressing up like lady bugs. Bugs are easy shapes to draw or cut out for bright decorations. If you have stuffed animal bugs, place them around the party—but remember that toddlers may want to claim them. They might be better placed out of reach but within sight.

Games & Activities. The Grouchy Ladybug, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, or several other Eric Carle books can be a wind-down activity that leads into an art project. If you read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the children can act out eating different kinds of food then act out wrapping themselves into a cocoon then flying around as butterflies. You could also go for a traditional game of stick the spot on the lady bug.

Food. Cupcakes can be lined up to look like a caterpillar for the birthday cake. You could even space out snacks throughout the party as your little caterpillars eat their way through a variety of small snacks.

Favors. A board book or a soft bug toy would make perfect party favors. A wooden earthworm can still be a fascinating quiet toy for a toddler as they figure out why the worm changes shape as they twist it. For a practical party favor, you could fill a Mimi the Sardine bug print lunch bag with popcorn like Nature Mom did for her recent party.

Gift. If you want to follow the party with a gift, Wheely Bugs are great for toddlers who may not quite be ready for tricycles.

Dance Party

Decorations. Think of what your child associates with dance. Ballet? Disco ball? Dress up and spin? Follow your child’s interests. Play silks are always helpful in creating a beautiful atmosphere for a young child.

Games & Activities. Once you gather your guests, explain that when the music starts, there will be a dance party. This can be a useful distraction from typical toddler discussions of “It’s mine!” and “Give it back to me.” Drop everything because it’s dance time. The dancing can give toddlers a positive outlet for their energy, and it can be a segue between activities.

Food. Create a simple cake with dancing figures made of marzipan or modeling chocolate, or make the cake in the shape of a pair of dancing shoes.

Favors. For another activity, you can add whistles and rattles for a dancing, musical jam session. These simple musical instruments can also be your party favors. Silk streamers can also be both dancing accessory and party favor.

Tips for Toddler Parties

• Invite Parents. Toddlers still need enough comfort and general guidance that you will probably need extra adult hands for trips to the toilet or soothing of bumps. Invite parents to attend the party. This is a must for toddlers!
• Dress Up. Toddlers love to dress up. Either ask them to come dressed up or pull out the dress-up box once the guests arrive.
• Following Directions. Plan games if your child likes them, but don’t make them complicated and don’t be disappointed if you can’t get the guests to follow directions or cooperate with others. Have a back-up plan that encourages happy chaos (such as catching bubbles or wild dancing).
• Leave Time for Discovery. On my daughter’s 2nd birthday, we let her explore each present before moving on. I didn’t want to encourage her to expect an endless stream of gifts, so that meant reading a whole book before moving on to try on a whole new outfit. Let your child savor the moment if the moment captures her attention.
• Last-minute Food. Don’t put the food out until you are ready to eat. Toddlers won’t understand the idea of waiting for the right time. NOW is the right time!
• Embrace the Mess. You may not expect cake in the face as with a 1st birthday party, but 2- and 3-year olds can still be messy. This is about the age that I realized my white couch wasn’t a good long-term plan. Hold the party outside or in a space that is easy to clean up—and don’t worry too much about the children getting messy. They will. It’s OK.
• Keep It Short. Toddlers can fall apart spectacularly. Keep the party short, and let it end before the guests forget how much fun they are having. End on a high.

Image © Oksana Tumeniuk | Dreamstime.com

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If it’s just too cold to be outside much and your toddler is restless, grab whatever you have and create a game out of it. Present an old toy or a piece of furniture in a new way. Challenge yourself to find a new game in every room to keep yourself engaged as you find ways to help your toddler burn through energy and have a good time.

When my first child was learning to crawl, I hit on a theme we came back to over and over: drag out the cushions, blankets, pillows, and anything that can be piled up and crawled on. We started by creating soft steps that helped her learn how to negotiate stairs safely. She’s a teenager now, and she still takes all of the cushions off the couches and creates interesting spaces for hiding and playing.

Where to Start?

• Pile cushions on the floor to create mountains. If the cushion mountain works for your children, keep bringing it back.
• Go sock skating into the cushion mountains.
• Dress up as animals who live amongst the cushion mountains.
• Crawl through cushion tunnels.
• Set up train tracks through pillow landscapes.
• Create mazes or obstacle courses for rolling balls.
• Give towel rides for smaller children if you have hardwood floors. Be careful! This can get wild.
• Chase bubbles.
• Cover a table with play cloths to create a house or castle or space ship under the table.

Image © Anatoliy Samara | Dreamstime.com

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When you want to give your child the long-term benefits of extended breastfeeding, it helps when you have confidence to respond to others.

Every woman needs support. That support can range from family support to hearing about research that explains the benefits of long-term nursing to workplace policies that allow continuation of the breastfeeding relationship. Organizations like the World Health Organization work to support extended breastfeeding on a global scale, and La Leche League International volunteers provide woman-to-woman support.

Extended Breastfeeding Benefits the Child

In addition to positive physical effects, breastfeeding toddlers can have a positive effect on a child’s later social adjustment.

“Research reports on the psychological aspects of nursing are scarce. One study that dealt specifically with babies nursed longer than a year showed a significant link between the duration of nursing and mothers’ and teachers’ ratings of social adjustment in six- to eight-year-old children (Ferguson et al, 1987). In the words of the researchers, ‘There are statistically significant tendencies for conduct disorder scores to decline with increasing duration of breastfeeding.’”

Sally Kneidel, “Nursing Beyond One Year,” New Beginnings, July-August 1990, 6/4: 99-103 (via KellyMom.com).

Successfully Breastfeeding a Toddler Requires Support

The World Health Organization (WHO), as part of their Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, has created specific targets to support breastfeeding for at least the first 24 months of a child’s life. The targets are meant to help create national policies and action plans to support breastfeeding.

“Ensure that the health and other relevant sectors protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond, while providing women access to the support they require – in the family, community and workplace – to achieve this goal.”

“Planning Guide for national implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding” World Health Organization, 2007.

Responding to Criticism about Breastfeeding a Toddler

Even when we are sure that we can trust our instincts as parents, we know that we will have better success when we have support. More important, we need to have confidence in our own choices. If you anticipate the kind of questions you might get, it can be easier to respond with confidence.

“It always helps to look for what has been called ‘the question behind the question,’ that is, the motivating factor. The reasons vary, but generally people question your parenting style when you have made a choice that is different from the perceived norm. They may be confused about what you’re doing or worried about your baby. Usually, the people who comment on a mother’s choices care about her and her babies.”

“Confidence is contagious. When we believe in our parenting choices, we express ourselves with confidence. Expressing confidence can be the best way to prevent unwanted criticism and questioning.”

Marianne Vakiener, “Responding to Criticism,” New Beginnings, 16/4: 116-119, July-August 1999.

Still need help with your responses? Try a few of these breastfeeding responses.

Your Breastfeeding Questions

Customers ask a lot of specific questions about breastfeeding. We’ve kept track of your questions, and we are looking to reliable sources to answer your questions each Wednesday this month. If you need answers now, breastfeeding support groups bring experienced mothers together with those who need help, and La Leche League always has reliable breastfeeding resources.

Image © Lev Dolgatshjov | Dreamstime.com

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Keeping your baby warm in winter is easy when you wrap yourselves up inside a baby carrier and a double coat. When your child is starting to walk and ready to test out independence, though, you will need to make some changes. How will you keep your toddler warm without stifling that desire to explore on their own?

Dress your toddler for winter success.

1. Connect mittens to coats. My mother just knitted a long string between my two mittens, but we have quicker solutions now. Mitten clips make it easy to keep track of toddlers’ mittens.

2. Choose two-piece snowsuits to make diaper changes easier. A toddler has places to go and less patience for a diaper change. Set the stage for the quickest change possible.

3. Cover your toddler’s legs. Tights can cover your baby’s legs, but they also add time to diaper changes. Baby Legs stockings don’t go up as far as the diaper, so add warmth without adding time to pit stops.

4. Make sure beginning walkers have good traction on their footwear whether indoor shoes or heavier, outdoor boots.

5. Have a handkerchief ready to wipe noses. Toddlers don’t seem to care so much if their noses run, and, left unwiped, this can lead to freezing, chappy patches on the face. Worse, they will lick at the running nose and add chappy lips to the mix. Chase, wipe, repeat.

6. Put a sunscreen stick in your pocket to cover exposed nose, ears, or backs of hands. A sunscreen stick is quick and very easy to apply. While you have your hand in your pocket, reapply lip balm and wipe noses.

7. Keep a change of socks in the diaper bag. After sledding or playing in the snow, your toddler may have cold, wet feet. A nice, dry pair of socks can go a long way toward comforting a cold child.

Image © Daniel Dupuis | Dreamstime.com

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Whether your child is just going back to school or going to school for the first time, the sudden departure of an older sibling can be disconcerting to a younger child. Just prepare the child as best you can, and expect a period of transition.

Make sure the younger child understands what is going to happen and when, though very young children may not grasp the idea very well if you warn them too far in advance. Talk about how your daily schedule will be different so he knows what to expect. Both children will need to ease into the new routine.

Visit the school if siblings are invited to open house events. Actually seeing the school can help the younger child as she pictures her sibling in the classroom.

Have your younger child help with back-to-school preparations. If the older child agrees, the younger child could even choose a pencil or notebook or sticker that will remind her sibling of her during the day. Sharing her opinion during the exciting time will help her feel included.

As you buy school supplies, you might want to buy pencils, notebooks, and a few other supplies for the younger child. Toddlers are notorious for their ability to know what belongs to whom (“It’s mine!”). Making sure she has her own supplies can help whether you are going to play school at home, really have lessons, or just encourage her to experiment with writing and drawing.

Have projects or lessons in mind for your younger child. Even if it is something simple like learning to watercolor for the first time or taking a tumbling class, the younger child may need a learning activity he can claim for his own.

If the younger child will be the only child at home, you can create a special one-on-one space for the two of you to do what you like to do together. If you don’t know yet what you like to do together, it’s time to explore!

Encourage your younger child to talk about or draw pictures about her feelings. She may be worried, or she may just be excited to have you to herself. Just help her communicate those feelings so any fears don’t grow unnecessarily.

Ask the older child to spend quality time with the younger child. When my daughter was away all day, every day for five weeks for dance, my son had big plans for her every day when she returned. She was tired and wanted time alone, so I had to convince her that it was important for him to spend time with her—that she was doing it more as a gift to him than because she needed or wanted play time. We found a healthy balance, and the time apart went smoothly.

Remember, too, that you are helping your younger child take a step toward school. A smooth transition for your older child will set the tone for your younger child.

Image © Nyul | Dreamstime.com

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This following post was an entry in our Blog to Inspire contest. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of Eco Baby Steps or Parenting By Nature.

Blog to Inspire entrant Dagmar’s momsense is Dagmar Bleasdale, grew up in Germany then moved to Los Angeles. Now, she lives in Westchester, New York, near her husband’s family with him and their toddler son.

I hadn’t given it much thought before, but the second I learned I was pregnant I knew I wanted to breastfeed. It was one of the things I looked forward to the most about being a mom. I just had a feeling that being able to deliver the nourishment my child needs to thrive would be an amazing experience, and I didn’t want to miss out on that. I had no one to help me — my mother did not breastfeed my brother or me and did not encourage me to breastfeed. After a wonderful, drug-free birth, my doula helped me to latch on my son, but after that I was on my own. I tossed out the schedule they had given me at the hospital because my son nursed so frequently and was so content that I wasn’t afraid that he wasn’t getting enough milk. I followed my instinct, fed him on demand, and trusted that my body would provide what he needed.

My son was thriving, yet my nipples were hurting so much during those first weeks, I would gasp from pain every time he latched on. But I was determined — instead of giving up, I sought the help of two lactation specialists. The first one didn’t know what she was doing — the second one is the reason why I am still nursing. She diagnosed my son as a lazy baby who didn’t latch on properly. We learned the correct latch and now, three years later, I am still proudly nursing my little man. He still nurses several times during the day and night and has no intention of self-weaning, and I love nursing him so much, I am in no hurry for him to stop either.

I feel most like a mother when I am breastfeeding. I was meant to do this — for my son and for myself.

I feel most like a mother when I am breastfeeding. I was meant to do this — for my son and for myself. I never get tired of giving him the comfort and nourishment he needs and wants, and feeling his little body close to me. And I don’t get tired of encouraging as many moms as possible to start and continue to breastfeed. I had no idea I would breastfed my son this long, but I count it as one of my proudest accomplishments to be able to do this for him. I also had no idea that I would become a passionate breastfeeding advocate, a La Leche League member, and that my desire to connect with other women interested in breastfeeding would lead me to start my blog, Dagmar’s momsense.

After learning how important it is to get the correct information and support in the beginning, and that most problems with breastfeeding have to do with an incorrect latch, which often can be remedied pretty quickly, I started writing my blog out of a desire to help other moms. Breastfeeding isn’t easy for a lot of women in the beginning, but while a new mom might think she is alone in her struggle, her problems are most likely not unique — many women before her have encountered the same challenges. I want new mothers to know that there are many resources and free help available and that they can look to me to be their cheerleader if they don’t have anyone else to support them.

After my wonderful experience with breastfeeding, I want as many other moms as possible to experience that special bond with their babies and the pride they will feel about being able to give their children the perfect nourishment and comfort. I believe most women can nurse their children with the right support, and I don’t want inaccurate information, societal and work-related pressures, or inadequate resources to be the reason why they never try it or stop to breastfeed. I don’t expect other women to breastfeed for as long as I have — I just want them to understand that every day they breastfeed is a gift not only to their children’s but their own health.

Making it through those challenging first weeks has been so worth it, and there have been countless situations in the last three years when I was glad that I am breastfeeding my son. Thanks to co-sleeping and never having to prepare a bottle, I have slept just fine since my son was an infant. I have a very healthy child with a hearty immune system, due in large part to exclusively breastfeeding my son for nine months. When flying overseas with him, he was contently nursing in his Maya wrap and people were astounded about how quiet he was. When he doesn’t want to eat his vegetables, I don’t have to worry about his nutrition because I know he gets everything he needs from breast milk. One more welcomed side effect: the added pregnancy weight came off by itself — breastfeeding is pure bliss!

Read about the Blog to Inspire contest and read posts by the finalists and by the rest of the entrants. Forty-four bloggers reached out to inspire on the topics of cloth diapers, babywearing, breastfeeding, and natural parenting.

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This following post was an entry in our Blog to Inspire contest. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of Eco Baby Steps or Parenting By Nature.

Blog to Inspire entrant Code Name: Mama is Dionna Ford, a lawyer turned work at home mama to an amazing son. She’s also one of those crunchy liberals her parents warned her about. She and her husband practice natural parenting and try to live consciously.

A member of an online community forum recently asked: “Do you think toddlers are too old to nurse?” What followed was a variety of disapproving comments regarding breastfeeding in general and “extended” (better known as “full term”) breastfeeding in particular.

I joined the community in order to educate the ill-informed and defend those champions of lactation – the mamas who give their babies breastmilk beyond one year. I dug up some research on breastfeeding past infancy; found links and statistics; and attempted to write something coherent. (It’s hard to be coherent, though, when my almost two year old often climbs onto my lap, dives for my nursing tank top, and does scissor kicks somewhere between my body and the keyboard.) Below is an expanded version of what I posted in response.

Health Benefits to Children and Mothers

In addition to the myriad health benefits to mother and child from breastfeeding for even a short time period (1), there are even more health benefits when mothers continue breastfeeding beyond one year. Here are only a few examples of the benefits to children and mothers, all established by credible research:

• “Nursing toddlers between the ages of 16 and 30 months have been found to have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers.” (2)
• “Antibodies are abundant in human milk throughout lactation. In fact, some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process.” (3)
• There is “a significant inverse association between duration of lactation and breast cancer risk.” (4)
• Breastfeeding beyond one year “can reduce your risk of ovarian cancer by about one-third.” (5)
• “[T]he longer a woman breastfeeds, the less likely she is to get endometrial cancer.” (6)

Breastfeeding Toddlers is Normal

Much of the criticism toward extended breastfeeding has nothing to do with health and everything to do with cultural biases. Many disagree with nursing a toddler who “can ask for it (or who have teeth),” or “when it’s just used as a comfort.”

Such comments reveal the writers’ own discomfort; they are not grounded in fact. Disapproval based on comfort level is not a logical basis for discouraging mothers from breastfeeding for any length of time.

Mothers have historically nursed into toddlerhood. In fact “the median age of weaning throughout the world is between ages three and five [years].” (7) Because breastfeeding is “a heavily culturized activity, it is” influenced by the current beliefs and attitudes regarding “infant health and nutrition, . . . the nature of human infancy and the proper relationships between mother and child, and between mother and father.” (8)

Those who condemn nursing a child who is “old enough to ask for it” operate under the illusion that the breast’s primary purpose is sexual. Most people wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at giving a toddler a bottle (which is a breast substitute), or at hugging or cuddling a toddler; why should breastfeeding be different? All are forms of affection. A toddler does not see a breast as sexual, nor should anyone who happens to view the nursing relationship.

The argument that breastfeeding should be discontinued after it is “more comfort than nutrition” is similarly misguided. Aside from the established health benefits of nursing a toddler, it makes no sense to take away a food source just because it does not meet every nutritional need.

“We don’t say that children should stop eating bananas once bananas are no longer a significant part of their diet. Bananas eaten once in a while are as nutritious as bananas eaten three times a day. In fact, you might even consider the rarely eaten banana to be more important nutritionally. Why do we not see that the same is true of human milk?” (9)

Nursing My Own Toddler

In responding to the forum query and in writing this post, I examined my own reasons for continuing to nurse my son.

Nothing can soothe my toddler’s bumped head or broken heart more effectively than breastfeeding. Nursing provides Kieran security and comfort when he is feeling sad, unsure or overwhelmed. And, quite simply, we both enjoy our nursing relationship.

If I hadn’t nursed beyond one year, I would have never been able to enjoy Kieran’s impish grin before his inevitable toddler nursing gymnastics; the request for “mama milk dance!” as we swept across our living room dance floor; or waking up to his big blue eyes locked onto mine as he hugged my chest and sleepily murmured “love mama milk.”

These tender moments are memories I would never trade, and Kieran’s comfort and happiness far outweigh any possible criticism about extended breastfeeding.

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(1) See “101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child,” http://www.promom.org/101/ (and citations therein) for some of the significant health benefits to children and mothers from even a few months of breastfeeding.
(2) “Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet” (citing Gulick, E. The Effects of Breastfeeding on Toddler Health, Ped Nursing 1986 Jan-Feb;12(1):51-4)
(3) Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet (citing Goldman AS. et al., Immunologic Components in Human Milk During Weaning, Acta Paediatr Scand. 1983 Jan;72(1):133-4; Goldman, A., Goldblum R.M., Garza C., Immunologic Components in Human Milk During the Second Year of Lactation, Acta Paediatr Scand 1983 May;72(3):461-2; Hamosh M, Dewey, Garza C, et al: Nutrition During Lactation. Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1991, pp. 133-140)
Toddlers who nurse also have fewer allergies, are smarter, and are well-adjusted socially. (see Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet and related citations)
(4) Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet (citations available at http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-refs.html#BreastCancer1)
(5) 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child, (citing Hartage et al, “Rates and risks of ovarian cancer in subgroups of white women in the United States.” Obstet Gynecol 1994 Nov; 84(5): 760-764; Rosenblatt KA, Thomas DB, “Lactation and the risk of Epithelial ovarian cancer”. Int J Epidemiol. 1993;22:192-197; Gwinn ML, “Pregnancy, breastfeeding and oral contraceptives and the risk of Epithelial ovarian cancer.” J. Clin. Epidemiol. 1990; 43:559-568)
(6) 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child (citing Rosenblatt, KA et al “Prolonged lactation and endometrial cancer” Int. J. Epidemiol. 1995; 24:499-503)
(7) “Breastfeeding Beyond a Year: Exploring Benefits, Cultural Influences, and More,”
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBSepOct07p196.html (citing Huggins, K. The Nursing Mother’s Guide to Weaning, Boston, MA: Harvard Common Press, 2007)
(8) Breastfeeding Beyond a Year: Exploring Benefits, Cultural Influences, and More (quoting Dettwyler, K.A. “A Time to Wean” in Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives, Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter, 1995)
(9) “Comfort Versus Nutrition,” http://www.breastfeeding.org.sg/comfort-versus-nutrition-by-kathryn-orlinsky.html

Read about the Blog to Inspire contest and read posts by the finalists and by the rest of the entrants. Forty-four bloggers reached out to inspire on the topics of cloth diapers, babywearing, breastfeeding, and natural parenting.

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Some days he’s a grizzly bear. Other days he’s an octopus. Most of the time he is an acrobat who’s tricks are utterly amazing.

I never really set out to breastfeed toddlers. In fact, I didn’t even know anyone who had breastfed at all when I had my first child. Because I didn’t have any support, I set a goal of 6 weeks (I made it to 3 months). With my second child, I knew someone who had breastfed to 9 months so I set a goal of 6 months (I made it to a year). By the time I had my third child, I was deeply entrenched in La Leche League with solid support all around, and that baby breastfed well into toddlerhood. In fact, she even tandem nursed with her little brother for several months.

It was then I discovered the joy of breastfeeding a toddler.

Now before I sing the joys of breastfeeding a toddler, I will admit nursing a wiggly, wild one isn’t always fun. They pick and pull and nurse upside-down, but there are also some really fun benefits to breastfeeding at this age.

• They can talk. I can actually ask my toddler if he needs to nurse and he can answer me! Yes, this sometimes means he yells for it at the most inopportune times, but it still melts my heart every time I hear him say, “Naw naw.”
• A little bit goes a long way. Nursing sessions are quick and to the point. He nurses and leaves. Yes, I sometimes lament that the days of cuddling are all but gone, but I sure do get a kick out of how fast he is satisfied. And along those lines…
• Momentary connections mean so much. Toddlers are busy. Connecting with them is often limited to kissing boo-boos and bedtime routines. Breastfeeding a toddler gives mama and baby one more (or several more) opportunities throughout the day to connect.

Amy of Raising Arrows received the greatest number of your votes for The Most Inspiring Blogger in our Blog to Inspire contest.

The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of Eco Baby Steps or Parenting By Nature.

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Explore close to home and you avoid several sources of anxiety for yourself and your child. The expense of gas, food, and lodging for you and the discomfort with new surroundings for your toddler.

Explore close to home. Start by going to your local visitors’ information bureau. Even if you think you know all about your local area, you might find out about new events or opportunities near you.

Set a schedule. Will you take a week off and go on day trips every day? Would you rather go every Monday for a month? How will you schedule your daycations? Limit the time and prepare to leave daily cares at home.

Keep a running list of ideas for day trips. Most toddlers are completely willing to be amazed by the world around them. If your child is fascinated by animals, go to the zoo, aviary, farm park or wildlife park. If your child loves plants, go to botanical gardens; if history, go to a living history farm.

If you are looking for a fee-free daycation, consider skipping the organized activities and going hiking or exploring. What is available will vary wildly depending on where you live. I live within a day’s drive of more than a dozen U.S. National Parks and monuments. This year, the National Park Service has scheduled fee-free weekends on July 18-19 and August 15-16. What a great opportunity to explore the world around you without feeling that you need to pack in all in at once to get your money’s worth.

Limit trip length. For most toddlers, four hours of activity will be about as much as they can take before they become too tired to enjoy it. Keep the experience positive, and your child will anticipate the next trip. A lot of trips will probably include a contented nap in the car on the way home.

Limit coverage. Rather than trying to see the whole park in one day, focus on one area and really watch the animals or other attractions. Talk to your child about what you are both seeing. Engage your child in learning and thinking. Listen so you can follow your child’s own interests rather than trying to fill him up with facts.

Remember this is vacation. Treat this time as you would any vacation. Take photos and video, don’t sneak a peak at your email, and don’t sit around watching television. Focus on your family more than the schedule. Watch your toddler explore the world as she calls out, “Look, Mama!”

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