23-Month-Old Toddler: Your Little Model of Healthy Habits
It's almost time for your 23-month-old toddler to start washing those hands all by themselves.
Your Little Model of Healthy Habits
As adults, it’s safe to say we take hand-washing for granted: there’s a shared, unspoken understanding that we all clean up before eating (or cooking) and after using the restroom, and we know how to do it. But for toddlers, the song and dance is a big deal. There are so many steps to remember not to mention barriers to success (the height of standard countertops and usual placement of hand towels doesn’t exactly work for 23-month-olds). So even if the ritual has been a part of their regular routine until now, it isn’t until the two-year mark that many children start learning to wash their hands independently. Since someone has a birthday coming up, now’s the time to look at the tools and practices your little one will need to get started.
Did You Know?
Even though toddlers are more active than infants and get into all kinds of messes, they don’t necessarily need daily baths just because. According to this bath-myth-busting article (which also addresses what to do if they pee or poop in the tub), “unless they’re smelly, they’re probably good.”
Editors' Picks: Toddler Bath Toys
With these interactive, open-ended and surprising (and messy) toys, they’ll get squeaky clean while having a ball.
Editors' Picks: Toddler Night Lights
If your little one fights going to bed, these multifunctional devices (they also play songs, cast stars and stream nature sounds) might make winding down more enjoyable and peaceful.
This Month: This Month: Clean the Car Seat
🕵️ Consult Your Manual - Do this first (or check the manufacturer’s website or give them a call) because different brands require different cleaning methods.
🧽 Avoid a Few Big No-Nos - Including Lysol, Clorox, bleach and any type of acid (yes, even vinegar). A toothbrush will come in handy, though!
💪 Remove the Seat from the Car - You can spot clean while it’s still installed, but we’re after a more thorough scrub here. Let’s clean the contraption part by part.
Parenting Toolkit: Changing Tastes
Try this: Dr. Becky, the parent whisperer behind Good Inside, explains why your toddler might love the bath one day but refuse to get in the next—and what to do.
Babylist Staff
Editor
Babylist editors and writers are parents themselves and have years of experience writing and researching, coming from media outlets like Motherly, the SF Chronicle, the New York Times and the Daily Beast, and the fields of early childhood education and publishing. We research and test hundreds of products, survey real Babylist parents and consult reviews in order to recommend the best products and gear for your growing family.
