Mom, I'm A Baby Again!

Lots of kids backslide even after they step into toddlerhood. We help you steer your little one in the right direction.

- Laura Anastasia

AS YOUR child transitions from baby to toddler, you’ll revel in his many advances: He sleeps peacefully through the night, doesn’t cry when you leave him with a sitter, and hasn’t asked for his pacifier in ages.

Then something seems to change overnight. He might start to wake up in the wee hours, scream whenever you leave his side, or rekindle his passion for the binky he gave up many months ago.

This sort of regression is often a sign that your child is in the process of making a big breakthrough. “Toddlerhood is a time of massive developmental advances, from physical growth to communication, cognition, and motor abilities,” says Dr. Wendy N. Moyal, child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute in New York, US. Such progress can be overwhelming for a young child who may then backslide in another area as a means of comfort. Other factors can also cause behavioural setbacks, such as when a toddler starts childcare or when your little one has to adjust to a new sibling. By pinpointing the trigger, you can work to make this phase easier on your toddler.

Constant Clinginess