A listener wants to know if it's OK to always pick up a fussy, needy toddler who always wants to be held? Will this responsiveness perpetuate more neediness and get in the way of building independence? Another mom wants to know how to handle a particular attention-seeking behavior in her toddler once and for all that has waxed and waned for over a year.

It's easy to get overwhelmed in the day-to-day. Pretty soon you're flying by the seat of your pants and can't seem to get your feet under you. How do you switch focus from constantly putting out fires to parenting with more intention? Then sometimes parenting in the short-term is just what the doctor ordered! How do we balance these two? In this episode I cover how to balance short and long term parenting, and relieve some pressure of what some parents think they need to focus on that actually makes life way harder in the short term that doesn't need to be.

Toddlerhood is the first big push for independence and with that often comes defiance. How do we support independence while also setting healthy boundaries? One mom asks for some guidance on dealing with her toddler's defiance, while another asks about how to deal with her toddler's aggression in the form of pinching. Listen to learn how to deal with these two common toddler behaviors!