- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- twins today articles
- twins today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Your One-kid Demolition Derby
Why Toddlers Can be Destructive and Why It's Normal By Alexandria Powell
Destructive exploratory toddler behaviors are not only normal, but generally a good indicator that a child is curious and engaged in the world around her, according to Dr. Klein. Toddlers can do things that seem bizarre from an adult point of view, she says. "For example, there's a tube of toothpaste sitting out, and what would be more enticing to a toddler? It's squishy, it's portable – that's got to be the most interesting thing out there."
Many parents worry that their toddler's behaviors may indicate a problem such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Dr. Klein notes, however, that ADHD and ODD don't make sense at this age. "You would basically say 80 percent of toddlers have ADHD or ODD, and you'd want them to," she says. "What would be worrisome would only be if you truly had a child who was never engaged in anything. Those terms just don't apply to children this age, because the behaviors we're talking about are normal for toddlers. They really are."
Dr. Klein has seen and heard almost everything, but toddlers continually offer surprises. At around 20 months old, one of her sons emptied an entire box of Grape Nuts cereal on the floor. "I ran to the back of the apartment, came back and he was surrounded by it, just rubbing it into the carpet," she says. "The box was within reach, and [the texture of the cereal] felt good." Her son's action "might be seen as bizarre by somebody who doesn't know kids, but to a toddler, it made a lot of sense."