Toddlers need loving guidance and they also need empathy and forgiveness.
Children have a basic need to feel loved and accepted by their parents. As they learn how to balance curiosity, impulses and our expectations, toddlers will make mistakes and get into mischief. Sometimes they will offer a tall tale to safeguard that need to be loved and accepted, i.e. Your hair fell off mama. I caught it for you….
A very valuable tool in helping toddlers learn personal boundaries and the value of honesty is Time In. (Also sometimes referred to as meeting on the couch, reflection time, time out together, talking it out.) This tool is about intentionally setting aside time to allow for children to flex their empathy skills and reflect on their choices.
