I have one extra happy little adventurer on my hands today. But "why?", you may ask...



Well, she spent the day being the leader of the pack, so to speak. We let D be in charge of all of our activities. From choosing her own breakfast, to wondering around the garden, to shopping for her favorite foods and getting to try some new ones, she truly got to lead the way and she was all too happy to play the leader.




Want to encourage your toddler to start playing the role of a leader as well, here's five ways we encourage her to take the lead (while still keeping her safe, of course)...

1. Express Creativity & Learn - We try to do a creative project or something STEM related at least once a day, from finger painting to making slime - me and my sidekick are always trying new things and making a mess. I let her do her own thing with a paint brush and I typically give her free reign of our creative process, this allows her to enjoy the activity and it also produces some amazing art work and cool results with our experiments.

2. Try New Things - Speaking of experiments, encouraging Delainey to try new things is always at the top of our list of activities. From letting her try sushi (a veggie roll, nothing raw yet) to encouraging her to find her own way on a new playground, I want D to know NEW is okay!

Today she decided she wanted to try Happy Tot Super Morning Bowls and I would say she's a pretty big fan! We chopped up some fruit to add a pretty touch to this already delicious meal and she pretty much devoured it like it was dessert - the best part is, there's no added sugars! Want to encourage your little one to try something new? Here's a coupon to save on the NEW Happy Tot Super Morning Bowls!



So far, she's proven to like most new things including these delicious, healthy bowls. I'm hoping by encouraging her to try new things, she'll always embrace change and want to explore all kinds of new, exciting things in her life.


3. Choose Her Own Path - Speaking of exploring, choosing the way we go while on a walk, picking which aisles we wonder while in the store, or just being in charge of what toys we play with means a lot to her... and it's an easy way to encourage leadership.

A lot of times, we let her wander and play as she pleases as long as she's not hurting anything, especially in the house. Daddy is on the braver side and he lets her climb, explore and wander without having an eye on her always... I'm a bit more helicopter parent-ish (learning to change that) and I like to at least go from room to room with her, regardless - we let her choose what toys she wants to play with most of the time and encourage her to test new skills and learn.

4. Chores - While we are on the topic of new skills - Yes, D is only 19 months old and she's already doing chores. She may not be the best at sweeping, but when she wants to - we let her help clean. It's also her job to help daddy take out the trash and she is pretty keen on helping daddy pull weeds too. It's not as though we're making her work, she enjoys taking care of these jobs (or at least helping with them) and we enjoy watching her gain independence and growing.

So tell me, how do you encourage your toddler to be independent? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below! Plus, don't miss your chance to try the NEW Super Morning Bowls with this coupon!