018_mo_FAQ.html

MY 18 MONTH OLD IS HAVING TEMPER TANTRUMS, WHAT CAN I DO?
First of all, accept the temper tantrums as being a normal part of the development of the child at this age. Children often will exhibit behaviors such as crying and screaming, body-thrashing, head-banging, breath-holding, breaking objects, or jumping up and down in response to frustration and anger. This is the child’s way of testing the rules and limits of the parents and caregivers. Children in the middle of a temper tantrum may react differently to different approaches, so you will need to find out what works best for you and your child. Most experts recommend you try to ignore the behavior unless the child is likely to harm himself or others or if the temper tantrum is occurring in a public place. In these situations, remove the child from the present environment and take him to a quiet, secluded place and allow him to calm down.

MY 18 MONTH OLD IS AWAKENING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT CRYING AND SCREAMING. COULD HE BE HAVING NIGHTMARES?
Yes, the child at eighteen months often will experience dreams and occasionally nightmares or night terrors. If your child wakes up afraid and crying in the middle of the night, go to him and give comfort, support, and reassurance until he has calmed down. If the child seems to have frequent nightmares, talk about dreams and reassure him that everyone has them. If the nightmares become so frequent that the child is afraid to go to sleep, talk to the child’s doctor. Night terrors are episodes of nighttime awakenings during which the child is very upset, crying, screaming or kicking and thrashing. Nothing you can do will calm him down. All you can do is hold the child to prevent the child from harming himself. In most cases,
nightmares and night terrors are no reason for concern and they will go away as the child gets older.
CAN I START POTTY-TRAINING MY CHILD YET?
Occasionally, girls at eighteen months will be ready for toilet-training but rarely are boys ready at this age. Rather, most children will be ready for toilet-training by two years of age. Pay attention to signs that your individual child may show indicating that he is indeed ready. Signs of readiness for toilet-training include: Staying dry for at least two hours during the day or during a nap, having regular and predictable bowel movements, indicating through posture or actions that he is about to have a bowel movement or urinate, being able to follow simple instructions, being able to walk to the bathroom, undress, and dress again with minimal assistance, seeming uncomfortable with a wet or dirty diaper, telling you he has a wet or dirty diaper, asking to use the potty-chair or toilet, and/or asking to wear “big-kid” underwear.

HOW SHOULD I DISCIPLINE MY 18 MONTH OLD?
All children need discipline - it makes them feel loved and secure and helps them learn self-control and how to take initiative, solve problems, and to get along with others. For toddlers, discipline involves setting firm limits and promoting good behavior by giving positive attention and providing a loving, nurturing environment. Negative approaches to discipline will not work over the long term and can escalate to verbal and physical abuse, make your child afraid of you, and make you feel guilty and ashamed. A misbehaving toddler will often respond to distraction or even to “time-out” (where the child is removed from the upsetting environment and allowed to calm down on his own.

WHEN DOES MY CHILD RETURN FOR HIS NEXT HEALTH SUPERVISION VISIT?
At two years of age your child should have their next health supervision visit.