In my short 16 months of motherhood I have become wholeheartedly convinced that babies dive head first into toddler-hood on their first birthdays. The evening before their birthday, you lay down to sleep your darling, sweet bitty baby only to wake the next morning to an opinionated, loud, climb-on-everything, likely sticky toddler that has decided to take over and run the town. In the late evening hours he has decided the way things have been going just won’t do and it is time for an immediate change.
I advise all soon-to-be members of this toddler survival group to also add 20 or so minutes to your travel because toddlers are now semi-capable beings and dang-it they will take the stairs by themselves and get themselves into the car and don’t you dare help or otherwise you will feel the wrath of the toddler fit. They are also beginning to develop a fashion sense. So those socks and tennis shoes you stupidly felt would work for walking about must immediately be replaced by his navy blue flip flops. Furthermore I advise you add multiple outfits and perhaps a lifetime supply of wet naps to your diaper bag. Toddlers make it their duty to find all dirt, water, and sticky things in close proximity. My tot’s favorite fashion accessory is the all natural, food based hair gel, also known as yogurt, bananas, peanut butter and sometimes honey. He could walk out of a white padded room somehow sticky and filthy.
