Babies should cry for four reasons: they are sick, they are hungry, they have a soiled diaper, or they are tired/sleepy.  Toddlers on the other hand always cry. For no reason.

Or so we thought.

A Tumblr account documents the reason someone’s son cries. And they are hilarious.

“The milk isn’t juice.”

Go ahead and check it out. You’ll laugh so hard YOU will cry!

This is awesome!

If you have a toddler (or a child who was once a toddler), you know they can flat wear you out.  They have tons of energy. They love exploring – opening drawers and cabinets and taking things out, dropping things in the toilet, throwing things, biting things, chasing things.  So why not direct their attention to something productive, something that will help their brains while entertaining?  Simple Little Home offers 40 ideas that will distract your toddler,

Rubberband/shoebox guitars. These are fun to play, and fun to make. Just a couple of shoeboxes with rubber bands around them create music (but not too loud) and lots of opportunity for exploration.

Water bins/tables. These require a nice day and a deck…smile… but are great. Again, fill up a tub with water and provide scoops, bowls, and a few fun trinkets (some that float and some that sink) and let kids play ’til their heart’s content. Add a few drops of food coloring for extra fun! Accept before you begin that each child who plays will require a full wardrobe change. I actually use this one a lot while I’m making dinner- the kids are going into the bath at that point anyway, right? Please use your best judgement when allowing young children to engage in water play and ensure close supervision at all times.

For the record, I personally loved making rubberband music boxes when I was a kid! I have a little bit of regret that I didn’t remember this in time to do it with my now older kids.

I don’t remember it being difficult to teach my daughters how to tie their shoes. But I know that because people have different levels types of genius, for some it can be confusing.  Here’s a quick and easy way to teach your children should they be more the artistic type than logical.

Had I seen this when my babies were toddlers, we would have had tutus all over the house. From Free Homemade Gift Ideas,

Start with deciding how long tutu you’d like to make. I’ve typed in a reference table for you. It’s very useful when you can’t take the measurements. Especially, when you want the princess ballerina baby tutu skirts to be a surprise.

Consult the table below, it’s quite foolproof. Know how to make a tutu as professionals do.

Still a bit worried? If you want to be super sure that the tutu fits, then use an elastic waist band with an inch or two of extra length. It’s easy to regulate.

LOVE THIS!

This is fantastic to get this kind of exercise with a toddler running around the house.  My girls are almost grown and grown and I can’t even get them to walk around the block.

I remember the days of public tantrums.  When my daughter did not get some silly toy she wanted and threw herself down in a fit so glorious it would have gone viral had a camera been rolling. Betsy’s daughter had herself a little hissy cow in the library parking lot,

She laid down completely on the ground, kicking and yelling. Her antics are the type where you just have to let them run their course; trying to comfort or coax her into getting up only prolongs the whole process.

So, while I waited her out, I put the baby in the carseat. Then a car drove by, stopped, and backed up. The driver gawked out the window at my daughter then looked around for her parent. I came around from the other side of the van and waved so they could see me and know that my child was not abandoned, though the thought had crossed my mind.

Ahhh… kids. Such fun!

Photo by JoanneQEScober.

Photo by Joe Cerighino via Flickr Creative Commons.

Photo by Kevin Dooley via flickr creative commons.

My friend and I went Good Will hunting today and then had dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  While we were checking out, she told me about how when her daughter was little and asked for something, she’d sometimes say no.  As parents are wont to do!

After she said no, her father would tell his granddaughter, “Mommy abuses you.”

They went into a store then and when she told her daughter “No” about buying something, the precocious child told a passerby, “Momma ‘buses me!”

The bystander followed my friend throughout the rest of the store that shopping day!

And my own “Goodwill” hunting day turned out well.  Between my daughter and I, we bought about 20 shirts, 3 blazers, pants, shorts, and 8 sweaters for $85.00.  Good will hunting, indeed.

Photo by Brad K. via flickr creative commons.