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Toddler behaviour

As your toddler becomes more independent, you may find you need to put clear boundaries in place to help them learn and manage their behaviour.

Here’s some advice to help you be consistent in supporting your child’s social and emotional development, and to respond effectively to the different types of behaviour they may show.

Remember…

If you’ve adopted a particular approach to managing your child’s behaviour, make sure you’ve informed childminders or nursery staff so that everyone who looks after them can be consistent in their responses. Children are masters at playing adults off against each other!

For more information, take a look at these articles about coping with challenging behaviours (pre-school) and toddler tantrums.

No-one is the perfect parent 100 per cent of the time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your child’s behaviour and feeling increasingly stressed, ask for help.

Your health visiting team can talk to you about strategies to support your child’s behaviour and your own wellbeing, and your local Children’s Centre will also be able to offer support.

Useful links

Page last reviewed: 26-06-2023

Next review due: 26-06-2026