Dawdling, defined as the act of delaying or playing around is not actually something that toddlers would normally understand. For them, they are just doing what they want to do without minding what the people around them might think.For my kids, I most experience this type of act when we are preparing to go out (to the mall, the park, or parties). My kids would always try to delay things. They will play around while I am trying to dress them up. They won’t listen to me when I say something. It is sometimes irritating, I know. Because the words we are conveying is not reaching them at all, for they are in a totally different world than us.
my 3-year old
But how to make them understand is our job as parents. Normally, we get angry over the little things our children would make because those are things we don’t like. Dawdling, for kids is not a big deal but for us, it is. They can never really understand if we will always be yelling at them to stop doing it.
Here are a few things I’ve tried with my toddlers and I hope they’ll help:
- Offer them something that will make them stop dawdling around
- Tell them the consequences of not hurrying up
- Reward them if they are not dawdling. But remember, acknowledge the possitive act and not the child.
Do let me know if it works for you 
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