Throwing tantrums
Negativism, or saying "no" to requests, is an expected behavior in toddlers and is a way that they can test their independence and boundaries. In extreme cases, it can lead to screaming, kicking, hitting, biting, or breath-holding.
Crying when the toddler's parent leaves for work
Crying when a parent leaves, or separation anxiety, is an expected behavior in the toddler.
Developing a sense that bad behavior is
punished
Controlling behavior to avoid punishment is an expected behavior in the toddler.
Insisting on same book being read every morning
Reading the same book, or ritualism, is an expected behavior in the toddler.
During the toddler years, children change rapidly. Changes occur in physical growth, motor-skill development, and cognitive/social development. The rapid changes in motor skills and the toddler's inability to make judgements about the safety of actions place the toddler at risk for unintentional injury. The importance of safety regarding the most common injuries of the toddler period, including aspiration, burns, drowning, and falls, should be communicated to parents of toddlers. The toddler years are characterized by a struggle for autonomy as the child develops a sense of self separate from the parent. Nurses should help parents understand that toddler behaviors, which include negativism, ritualism, temper tantrums, and separation anxiety, are normal processes of toddler development. Parents should be given information to help cope with these behaviors appropriately. During the well-child checkup, the nurse's role is to be a child advocate by providing parents of toddlers with anticipatory guidance related to growth, safety, and common age-related concerns. Nurses should also listen to any concerns that parents have about the development of their toddler because parental concerns provide a reliable indicator of possible developmental delay.