What really matters- Social Rules- Whit  is exhibiting some early sense about social standards.  She now knows that spilling food on yourself is not acceptable and requires being cleaned up. (see video)

Over time, Whit will develop a sense of what is expected in terms of manners.  Whit’s awareness of what is acceptable is slightly greater when it involves social behaviors (hair pulling, pushing etc) than with nonsocial events (a stuffed animal with a missing ear, or the toothbrush and toothpaste in the living room, for example).

These basic rules and routines are the base upon which more self-supervisory habits are built. Our toddlers are already learning to review their own actions in light of what others think and what the consequences of these actions will be.

How to put it into practice-

Tuning In- There will be lots of signs that your toddler knows the “rules” of what is ok and what is not. One of the most obvious is the word “Uh-Oh”. This word is easy to say for toddlers and is often one of the most frequently used. It indicates that she knows something is wrong or out of place. Other signs are things such as Whitney hiding to sidestep parental attention after doing something prohibited (such as turning off your computer). Or whit finds a bar of soap on the kitchen floor, and knowing it is out of place, brings it to us.

Bridging-  When something occurs that is not socially acceptable (whether or not our toddler was involved), explain to your child why it is not acceptable.  If you see one child push over another at the playground, quietly explain to our toddlers that this is not the way to do things.  If our toddlers intentionally spill something, gently explain that the sticky juice could bring ants into the house, so that juice has to stay in the cup.