How to Tell if a Toddler’s Habits Are Normal or Worrisome

During the first year of your child’s life, you were probably monitoring their development closely and writing down every milestone they reached. From the first smile they gave you to the moment they started walking independently, you knew what to expect (to some extent) and were excited and proud of the little human for doing what all babies do. But once they go into toddlerhood, things may get a bit tricky. Are these new habits they have normal or there are some things you should look into more? Let’s find out!

Self-Soothing Habits

What’s Normal

It’s normal for toddlers to have rituals that help them soothe themselves. They could be rocking back and forth when they’re tired or nervous, they could be sucking on their thumb or a pacifier, and they could even be banging their head on the wall or floor when they’re tired and upset. This is especially common for toddlers of age between 12 and 24 months.

When to Worry

Be sure to speak with your child’s pediatrician if they rock back and forth all day long and are constantly banging their head against a wall or another hard surface. Also, make sure that they’re not using a pacifier after the 2-year mark because it may cause issues with their teeth and language development.

Ritual Clinging

What’s Normal

Toddlers thrive on consistency and they love the repetition of rituals every single day. So it’s very natural for a 12-24 month old to demand things to happen the way they usually happen in their everyday life. For some, a deviation from their habits and routines may cause a huge meltdown, which to the adult may seem weird. This behavior, alone, is not something to worry about.

When to Worry

Rituals can become worrisome if the child wants to follow them to the point that they disrupt their eating, sleeping, and play. If the child is also obsessed with lining up their toys in a specific way but has no interest in actually playing with them, it’s worth speaking with a specialist. In case they don’t interact much and seem like they live in their own world, turn to a pediatrician.

Exploring Their Body

What’s Normal

You probably know how much kids love picking their noses and that’s a normal part of their development. Not to mention that sometimes they manage to get some pretty irritating boogers out. Also, touching their private parts is one of the common toddler habits that bug a lot of parents. However, it’s all normal and what we can do as parents is to teach them that such things are not done in public but in private.

When to Worry

The only scenario in which you should worry is when they are so busy touching their private parts or picking their nose that they are not doing anything else.