Always, Sometimes, Never

How to sort activities when setting boundaries with toddlers: These are some of my examples, you may find you have different ideas in each category.

Always: these activities get the green light 99% of the time. They are safe, age appropriate and often are something your toddler can do with less assistance. These tasks are also routines that you are trying to teach, like tidying up, brushing teeth, sorting laundry, saying please, sharing, saying hi or bye to friends.

Sometimes: Your child can do these activities with active supervision, only when you are able to help them. These may be building new skills or practicing more mature behaviours. Biting, hitting and tantrums are Sometimes activities. Your child can't control their impulses when they are mad, so sometimes these negative behaviours show up. Other activities may be - helping with food preparation: mixing, pouring, tasting, pushing buttons -helping with dusting or wiping surfaces -helping with vacuuming or sweeping -helping in the garden -helping with recycling

Never activities are boundaries to keep your child safe, or to keep you from getting frustrated. Some activities are just not age appropriate yet. All parents have different never activities. This is an example of my list for toddlers: -unloading the dishwasher -helping at the stove -carrying things up or downstairs -unbuckling their car seat -folding laundry -feeding dogs -walking in the parking lot

What are some of your Always, Sometimes, Never activities?