Check out the brand new mini-course, Transform Tantrums: A Listening Toddler in 7 Days! If you're ready to stop the meltdowns and finally enjoy more peaceful days with your toddler, then this is a course you don't want to miss! Take advantage of the pre-sale price now before it's gone and the price goes up! Do you feel like you're going to lose your cool if you hear your toddler shout, "NO!" at you one more time? The "no" phase is a frustrating one! Our toddlers seem to fight us at every...

You may think you know the cause behind your toddler's meltdowns, but do you really? In this episode, Heather discusses the real reasons behind your toddler's tantrums and they may not be what you think! Is your toddler really upset that he got the blue cup instead of the green one or is he frustrated that he just can't seem to communicate what he wants? Is your toddler really upset with her toy or does she just not know how to wait patiently to go to the park? Most of the time, our toddler's...

You might be surprised to find that there are some pretty common misconceptions about what it means to help toddlers listen more and tantrum less. Even though we may all want our toddlers to be better listeners and throw fewer tantrums, our beliefs around how to do that and why affect our approach and the methods we use. Whether you believe that kids will be kids or that they should know better, your perception will determine how you guide your toddler through difficult emotions. Join Heather...

No matter how old your baby is, it's never too late to heal your postpartum body. Through the many physical and hormonal changes that occur throughout pregnancy, our bodies can easily become depleted and distressed during the postpartum period. Even years later, our bodies can still feel the effects of pregnancy and the stress it creates. Join Heather in this enlightening and encouraging episode as she sits down with Clare Samol and Heather Thompson to discuss the many ways our bodies can...

Competing for attention and affection is not uncommon among twin toddlers or even toddlers that are just close in age. When one toddler wants hugs and kisses from mom, the other one is usually not too far behind. And when one toddler gets hurt during playtime or even when bickering with their sibling, you have to manage comforting one while navigating conflict resolution with the other. So how do we manage this constant feeling of being pulled in a million different directions and give equal...

It's the Toddler Toolkit one-year celebration episode! Come join in the fun and celebrate the podcast's first birthday with Heather as she dives into 7 key milestones to look out for between ages 2 1/2 and 3 1/2, and shares some fun toddler bloopers with her own twin boys from the past year. Also, be entered in to win a fun prize for the podcast's birthday by leaving a review! Write a short, 5-star review for Toddler Toolkit Podcast and share a screenshot with us to be entered in to win...

October is pregnancy loss awareness month and we're here to spread light, love, and comfort to every parent who has experienced or is currently experiencing the grief of loss. Join Heather as she discusses this sensitive topic with guest, Sabrina Fletcher, a pregnancy loss doula and companion. In this interview, Heather and Sabrina acknowledge and recognize the pain and hardship of losing a pregnancy, discuss ways to celebrate and remember your baby, and give tips on how to support someone...

Parenting a complex, or neurodivergent, child is full of its own unique challenges and obstacles that add onto the many routine challenges we already face as parents everyday. When we don't know how to support our children in the best way, or don't understand the why behind our children's behavior, we often get caught up in a cycle of stress, frustration, overwhelm, and anger. The key to breaking the stress cycle is to gain a deeper understanding of why our children do what they do and gather...

Are you making this mistake with your toddler? This parenting tactic often becomes the biggest regret for many parents as their children grow into teens and then adults. It often causes a rift in the parent-child relationship, creates shame-based beliefs for children, and stops them from developing their natural gifts and strengths. Rather than playing against our children’s strengths to change their behavior, what if we leaned into their strengths and helped them develop those strengths...

Cheering for your child sounds like such a simple thing. We all want what's best for our kids, right? But sometimes, it can be difficult to know what words to say or actions to take to show our children the support they need in the way they need it. And when we can learn and grow together as a family, we experience rich relationships that bring us and our children joy and fulfillment. So how can we cheer our children on and grow together as a family? Join Heather in this episode as she sits...

Is your strong-willed child making you want to rip your hair out and throw in the towel with this whole parenting thing? A toddler who talks back, makes seemingly simple activities the most challenging, or who gets physically violent with themselves or others can cause any parent to want to give up. Navigating your toddler's heightened emotions, tantrums, and violent tendencies is mentally and emotionally draining and disheartening. We want our children to be happy, healthy, and thriving! So...

Does your toddler love to throw their food and won't stop no matter how many different parenting hacks you try? Well then, this is the episode for you! Using her love of psychology, research, and child development education, Heather explores the different reasons why our toddlers throw food and how we, as parents, can determine what methods really work for our unique child. Diving into proactive strategies, toddler personality, and some personal experiences, Heather guides us in mindful...

Tantrums that we can see coming aren't easy to deal with, but at least we know how to prepare for them. On the other hand, tantrums that we never saw coming can be incredibly difficult and upsetting for the whole family! So how can we navigate those public tantrums that seem to come out of nowhere and what can we do to prepare ourselves ahead of time as much as possible? Heather answers these questions plus more in this episode! From sharing stories of her own toddlers' unanticipated tantrums...

Are you tired of feeling like you have to avoid public outings because your toddler seems to have a meltdown every time you go out? Parent, you are not alone! Join Heather in this episode as she dives into preparing for public tantrums and how to mitigate the behavior. The key is to dig beneath the behavior and get to the root cause. When we more fully understand what's causing the meltdowns, we can be more proactive about avoiding triggers and prepare ourselves beforehand to handle the...

If you've been trying to get your toddler to quit hitting you, their siblings, or even themselves, but it feels like nothing ever works, then you're in good company! In this episode, Heather opens up about how she could not get her twin toddler to stop hitting her, even when she tried many different strategies, and how frustrating it was. But once she tried this one new strategy, it just seemed to click with her toddler's personality and the hitting finally stopped. Now she's sharing this...

Is it a struggle to get your toddler to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or doing some other kind of outdoor activity? Whether your toddler has sensory challenges, you have a hard time finding a helmet that fits, or your toddler just simply refuses to wear one, it can be very frustrating when you can't get your toddler to wear their helmet. Helmets are a must to keep our toddlers safe when doing any kind of precarious activity, so what do we do to get them to wear the helmet without a...

Teaching our toddlers about water safety can be a tricky task. While going swimming can be a very enjoyable time for us with our families, it can also be a major stressor and worry for us toddler parents. How can we communicate rules to our toddlers about water do's and don'ts in a way that they can understand? What do we do when our toddlers are afraid of the water and how can we encourage them to face their fears? What are the best ways to keep our toddlers safe in and around the water when...

Toddler sleep transitions are difficult not just for your toddler but also for you! Trying to navigate resistance to sleep, crankiness, night-wakings, and more can make even the most prepared parent feel lost as to how they’re going to make it through. So how can we support our toddlers through this transition effectively while keeping our sanity and our cool? Tune in to find out! In this episode, Heather shares one top tip for how she got her reluctant toddler to go to sleep when he was...

Bust the boredom for your toddler this summer with these simple yet fun and engaging learning activities! Fill your toddler's learning bucket with a few simple techniques that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine without major preparation or mess. Join Heather in this episode as she dives into some fun ideas you can do with your toddler this summer to bust the boredom, encourage learning, and have less meltdowns. If you've been running out of ideas for how to keep your toddler...

Do you find yourself often repeating instructions to your child to get them to do something? Like when you want them to pick up their toys and you keep telling them over and over to pick them up, even though they just won't do it. Or when it's time to leave and you keep telling your toddler that it's time to go, but they just won't stop playing. If they won't listen when they're at home, how can we expect them to listen while on vacation? Are you doomed to repeating yourself over and over...

Experience all the fun events and activities with your toddler this summer without all the stress! Join Heather in this episode as she gives her top eleven tips for planning long outings with your toddler, how to navigate big events, and what key things to both remember and avoid so you and your family can enjoy all the special events you have planned. From navigating events with big crowds and practicing noise level safety to addressing snacks, shade, and sun, this episode has everything you...

Do you have fun trips planned for the summer but not sure how to navigate long road trips with your toddler? Then you will definitely want to tune into this episode! Join Heather as she discusses her top tips for traveling with toddlers and ideas for what to bring with you so your toddler can stay happy, healthy, and entertained during the long hours of travel. Here's to a summer full of fun instead of stress! Be sure to grab your toolkit and make room for another helpful tool for parenting...

What does discipline look like to you? Does it look harsh and authoritarian or does it look compassionate and positive? When it comes to parenting our toddlers, we may feel unsure of which direction to go with our discipline, but when we break down the root meaning of the word, we can get a better understanding of how to discipline from an attitude of grace, fellowship, and leadership. Join Heather as she takes a deeper look at what discipline really means, where the word comes from, and...

Sometimes, our toddlers just hurt our feelings. They say hurtful things when they’re upset, throwing a tantrum, or having big feelings themselves. And, oftentimes, it’s very easy to take their words and actions personally. But when we can step outside of our own emotions, we can see that our toddlers don’t really mean it and we can learn how to manage our reactions with grace. Tune in as Heather discusses how to handle it when our toddlers hurt our feelings and what to do instead.  Be...