26-Month-Old Child

Nose picking may be taboo to you, but in toddlers, the habit is pretty common. Blame stress, boredom, plain old curiosity or, for kids with allergies, a near-constant buildup of crusty mucus.

As with most unwanted habits, try to ignore it. Giving it any attention — even negative attention — can make the behavior more appealing for your child. Plus, the last thing you want to do is make your child feel badly about something she may not even realize she’s doing.

Once she starts school — and starts to care about what other people think — she’ll probably retire the nose-picking habit in public. In the meantime, try to keep her hands busy with other activities, like scribbling or blowing bubbles.

Toddlers are good at making messes. Cleaning up those messes? Not so much.

As tempting as it is to ignore the piles of blocks, puzzles and stuffed animals building up on the floor, there’s a good reason to straighten up at the end of the day. Not only can your toddler’s toys get damaged in all the chaos, but they can also be stepped on or tripped over, resulting in an injury (for you or your child).

The solution: Implement a regular cleaning routine and enlist your toddler’s help. Sure, you can probably tackle the toys yourself (and be done in half the time), but she’ll learn best if she learns from you — and has regular opportunities to practice.

For now, keep it simple: Ask her to make a stack of books on the shelf or put the trucks in the corner. She’ll feel less overwhelmed if you give her small, specific tasks (“put the ball in the box”) rather than larger, more abstract ones (“clean up your playroom”). And singing a clean-up song together while you work will make the chore more fun!

Your little softball star is pitching a no-hitter — in your living room. But before you cry foul, know that throwing and kicking a ball are two important milestones for the 2-year-old set, so your best bet is to move the game to a safe location (away from the window, and the lamp, and the vase …).

Once she’s in safe — and supervised — surroundings, give her plenty of different-sized balls to play with. Try kicking the ball back and forth with her, or letting her toss one your way (her catching skills won’t develop until closer to age 4).

Just be sure to stick to softer materials, like beach balls or very soft rubber balls.

You’re ready to ditch the diapers, but your child is refusing to use the potty. Potty training resistance is fairly common among toddlers, who are slow to relinquish what little control they have.

The harder you push her to start potty training, the more likely she is to fight it. Instead, let her know that she can use the potty whenever she’s ready — then wait a little while before bringing up the subject again.

Offer her choices in other areas of her life — let her pick out which shirt to wear or what to eat for lunch. Keep it casual and stick to only two (acceptable-to-you) choices, as more than that can be overwhelming for a child this age. Eventually, your little one will say goodbye to diapers (even though it may not seem like it right now!).

There are good reasons why your little angel also has a devilish side — like every other toddler, she’s currently lacking impulse control, empathy and social skills.

But just because there’s a method to her madness doesn’t mean you should tolerate aggressive behavior in your tot. After all, it’s common for toddlers to kick, hit and bite, but it’s also important for parents to teach them not to do it.

The best response is a calm one. Tell her, “We don’t hit. Hitting hurts people.” Then redirect your toddler’s attention to something else or remove her from the situation.

You’ll probably have to repeat this rule often before it sinks in, but in time, she’ll learn.

Trying for baby number 2? Even if your first pregnancy was a cinch, there’s no guarantee that getting pregnant the second time will be just as easy.

Many couples have secondary infertility, which is difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to full-term after you’ve already had a baby. Sometimes these problems are related to the first pregnancy or delivery, such as uterine scarring, but often, they’re caused by issues like advanced age and trouble with ovulation.

Remember, getting pregnant under any circumstances can be tricky — even the healthiest, youngest couples have a 75 to 80 percent chance of striking out during any given cycle. And women who are in their late 30s and 40s can be especially prone to secondary infertility, since their fertility levels are on the decline.

If you’re younger than 35, it’s perfectly normal for it to take six to 12 months to conceive; if, after a year, you haven’t been able to get pregnant, you may want to talk with your practitioner and possibly enlist the help of a fertility specialist.

If you’re over the age of 35, you may want to seek out a fertility specialist earlier — after three to six months of trying to conceive.

Getting the side-eye for breastfeeding your 2-year-old? Science is on your side.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that breastfeeding has benefits for as long as mother and child want to keep it up, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies be breastfed for two years or beyond, if the child’s nutritional needs are being met.

There’s no set rules for how often a toddler should nurse, but as long as she’s getting plenty of nutrition from eating solid foods, you can follow her lead. It’s a good idea, though, to put your tot in a high chair during meal- and snack times — letting her eat in your lap, like she would during a breastfeeding session, may set a precarious precedent.