Your child is not a toddler anymore, and as the parent, you've grown, too: you're more than just a person who fulfills a baby's physical and emotional needs, you're now in a position to facilitate your child's intellectual growth and self-esteem. You also have a chance to be a real superhero to your child.

Caregivers and Love

If your child is in daycare or preschool, be extra sure to spend one-on-one time with him. For a preschool-aged child, time goes by much more slowly, and waiting until the weekend to “catch up” with Mom or Dad is like waiting an eternity. So much happens in a child's development during this time that bonding only two days a week can be detrimental to emotional development. You'll need to make sure your child gets daily one-on-one time with at least one parent, even if it's only for a few minutes.

You may find that even though the morning rush is hectic, building in a few more minutes for reading a morning story or having a five-minute pre-daycare cuddle can improve behavior much more than waiting until evening. Little kids are “morning people”; make sure they get some of you during their best waking hours instead of only at night when they're cranky.

Providing Enrichment

If your child stays at home with you, or is in a daycare environment with little structure, you'll need to provide enrichment to build school readiness skills. You don't need to memorize the state capitals or devise any other intense, goal-oriented lessons; on the contrary, the pressure to perform can be too much for young children. Instead, provide plenty of opportunity to paint, use scissors, play outdoors, sing songs, learn about the natural world, read books, count, and begin recognizing letters and numbers. Check your local school district's requirements for kindergarten readiness, and see that your child can do the basics, such as writing her name. For extra fun, check your local paper or monthly family magazine for free and low-cost activities such as puppet shows, nature walks, and library story times.

Be a Superhero: Eliminate Bad Guys

Preschool-aged children may not be ready for many of the cartoons, movies, and other media that is supposedly devised just for them. Most shows with a plot have a bad guy to help drive the action, but little kids don't need bad guys. Bad guys increase anxiety, and can even lead to nightmares; violence can increase defiant behavior. You will be a superhero in your kid's life if you eradicate movies with bad guys and give your child a calmer, safer perspective in life.

A loose plot or none at all is all that's necessary for a young child. Nature videos, music performances, and kids' sing-a-long variety or educational shows can be just as entertaining, and are much less likely to induce nightmares. If you are bored with this type of programming, remember that it's not intended for adults and shouldn't appeal to you as much as it does to your child.