While toddlers cause their fair share of havoc, they’re also pretty adorable, writes Evelyn Lewin...
Toddlers get a bad rap – and with good reason. When they’re not crying about something not going their way, they can often be found on the floor, mid-meltdown. But they have great qualities, too. I mean, no one does ‘cute’ better than a toddler, am I right? So next time you’re neck-deep in a puddle of toddler rage, take a moment to consider the 8 things toddlers do which are pure adorableness.
The way they call anyone younger than themselves a ‘baby’
Every time my toddler sees a baby, she gets all excited and starts screaming, ‘baba!’. The cute thing is that, in her eyes, a baby is anyone younger than her, her age, or even older. Bless.
The way they dance
Ain’t no one can tear up a dance floor the way a toddler can. They have the perfect combination of lack of self-consciousness, creativity and pudge. My toddler’s newest move is spinning around in a circle, with one arm leading the way. Need I say more?
The way they laugh just because everyone else is
When you’re an adult, you need to find something funny in order to really laugh. Not so when you’re a toddler. Toddlers often laugh just because everyone else is, even when they have no idea what’s funny in the first place.
Their ability to get distracted
Oh yes, they roar like a lion, toddlers do. And yet, if you wave something shiny in front of them, they can turn off their tears faster than you can say, ‘Is it a bad idea to let my toddler hold the bubble mix?’.
The way they say stuff
Oh, mispronunciations, thou art the stuff of toddler redemption. How can you be annoyed with anyone who says they want the ‘banilla’ yoghurt, or that they’re colouring in the tree trunks ‘browned’? It gets me Every. Single. Time.
The way they love
Nobody, and I mean nobody, loves like a toddler. Whenever my husband gets home from work my toddler literally scrambles over herself trying to get to the front door. She cannot wait to cuddle and kiss him. She’s full of scrunchy neck cuddles and sloppy cheek kisses. Which leads me to the next point…
Leg hugs
Oh my, leg hugs. They should bottle that stuff and sell it.
How they look when they’re sleeping
You can’t talk about the best toddler moments and neglect the time they’re sleeping. If you’ve had a long day with a toddler, it’s easy to wish the day was over so they could just go to sleep already, and you can just sit on the couch. But once your toddler is asleep, try to take a peek of her (if it won’t wake her, that is). Drink in her deliciousness, from her curled, soft hands to her plump cheeks. And just take a moment to really see her. What you’ll see, when you look closely enough, is that your toddler is actually just a baby. A baby who can tantrum like a boss, but a baby nonetheless. But she knew that already. That’s why she calls other kids her age babies.
Holding image: Grace Alyssa Kyo