When you’ve got a toddler in the house, things can be crazy. Any little change to the situation can also set a toddler off, throwing her into a fit of “terrible two” rage. One of the things you can do to help out your toddler, however, is to make a change by adding a pet to your household. Not only can the right pet be a good friend and member of the family, there is some research that tells us that pets actually help children with things like emotional development.

Picking the right pet

The first thing to consider when getting a pet with a toddler in the house is choosing a safe pet.  Pets that are often not safe for children, especially toddlers, include monkeys, ferrets, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and other rodent pets.  In addition, there are specific risks with reptiles, such as lizards, turtles, and snakes.  These pets can often carry salmonella bacteria, which can be harmful to your children.  If you choose a reptile as a pet, be sure to talk with your vet or your health care provider about the precautions that you should take.

If you are considering getting a dog with a toddler in the house, you should be picky about the breed.  Some breeds are known to be good with children.  Other breeds, such as Dobermans and Dalmatians, tend to be large and often aggressive.  On the other hand, toy breeds such as poodles and Japanese Chins may not always be the best choice for your home, as toddlers can sometimes be rough with pets.  Of course, breed does not always determine personality, so you will want to find out as much as you can about the behavior of your future pet.

Cats, dogs, hamsters, gerbils, birds, and fish all make great pets when you have a toddler in the house.  Again, with the smaller pets, you should be careful as children will often like to handle the pets roughly.

Teaching your child to handle pets correctly

Regardless of what kind of pet you choose, there are some things that you should do when getting a pet with a toddler in the house.  These include:

• Teach your child how to handle the animal carefully, never teasing, pulling, squeezing, or bothering them while they are eating.
• Supervise interactions between your toddler and the pet, especially at first.
• Help your toddler to remember to wash his hands after handling a pet.
• Keep up on your vet visits and shots.

Sports is one of the best ways to make sure that your kids stay in relatively good physical condition. By starting them out with sports or other physical fitness opportunities early, you’re creating a lifelong pattern that will, hopefully, pay off for you in the long run.

When you’re considering whether or not to put your toddler in a sports program, there are some factors that you’re going to need to consider.

Strength and motor skill development

A significant factor in what kind of physical activities you will be able to start your toddler on is their own strength and motor skill development.  By the time your toddler reaches 18 months of age, for example, she should be able to roll objects along the floor, walk both forward and backward, and probably go down the stairs backwards, using her hands and her knees.  By the age of 2 years old, she can probably run, open doors with handles, and push a box, chair, or stool into a spot to climb on to get things she can’t reach.  A year later, by the age of three, she will likely be able to jump, throw a ball, and climb up and down the stairs using both feet.  Any of these things are physical activities that you can start your toddler on.

Duration is a factor

How long your toddler is engaged in a sporting activity is key, as well. Doctors recommend around half an hour of planned, organized physical activity for toddlers every day.  In addition, they recommend an hour of unstructured physical activity as well.  If your toddler is going to engage in a stationary activity, such as watching television, these activities should not last more than one hour without stopping to start a physical activity.

Organized sports activities

In terms of organized sports, experts disagree about how young is too  young to start.  Many experts believe that the structure and pressure of organized sports is too much for a child until the age of six or so.  Others see no problem with starting physical activities that include organized sports a year or two earlier than this.

Be the example

Finally, your toddler will learn by example.  If he sees that mom or dad regularly engage in physical activities, he will want to do them too.  By starting your own physical fitness routine, you will help your toddler recognize the importance of physical activities.

When You Have a Baby and a Toddler

Parenting both an infant as well as an older sibling can be quite a challenge for any parent.  The fact of the matter is that, while all children require a variety of amounts and types of attention, an infant typically has more immediate and severe needs than an older sibling.  For example, if a toddler would like to have a snack, he can very often wait for a few minutes until his mother or father can help him.  This is not the case with an infant.  An infant, of course, requires immediate or near-immediate feeding when she is hungry.  In addition, if the infant is being breast fed, then only mommy can help her out at that point.

Still, it is important when you are parenting an infant and an older sibling to not allow the older sibling to feel neglected, or to feel put aside.  The fact of the matter is that, while the older sibling might be more patient, he still needs the attention that you have to offer.  One way to help assuage feelings of neglect, jealousy, or favoritism is to get the older sibling to help you out with the infant.  By bringing the older child in as more of a “helper” or even a “partner,” you are more likely to be able to avoid some of the most common causes of sibling rivalry between an infant and an older sibling.

There are some things that you need to do when you are going to be parenting an infant and an older sibling.  You need to prepare the older sibling well in advance for the changes that will take place when you have an infant.  Help him to understand that his new baby brother or sister will grow up to be one of his best friends, although it will be quite a long time before they can play together.  Help your older child to know what other changes will be taking place, such as having to share a room, or being woken up in the middle of the night when the infant is hungry.  Teach your older sibling how to be safe around the baby, and even help the older sibling practice holding the infant.

Ultimately, parenting an infant and an older sibling at the same time can be a lot of hard work, but it can also be a very exciting and fulfilling experience.