Vayu · 20 months and 1 week · August 23, 2026
Vayu started daycare this week, is throwing major tantrums over small things, and hums Twinkle Twinkle back in a tune you can recognize.
Things to try
Ideas drawn from what matters to your family and what you’ve noticed about Vayu. Pick whatever fits your day.
- 01
This week, take Vayu to a playground with a low bar he can hang from on his own, or set up a doorway pull-up bar you've tested with your weight first. Stand within arm's reach and don't lift him unless he asks with a grip-point. When he drops, say 'you got down' in a normal voice and wait for him to try again.
You want to protect the joy Vayu gets after climbing, that post-effort glow.
Research on early motivation finds children stay engaged when they have some self-determination and challenges matched to what they can actually do. A low bar he can reach and drop from himself keeps the choice, and the pride, on his side of the exchange.
Harvard Center on the Developing Child
Worth knowing
What you might notice at this age, and what it can mean.
- 01
Ease the delayed daycare wobble with a 30-second goodbye ritual
AAPToddlers often hit their hardest separation reactions after the first week, and a short, predictable goodbye ritual done the same way every day helps him feel in control of the transition.
Pick a three-step sequence (hug, one specific phrase like 'see you after snack,' one wave at the window) and use it identically at every drop-off starting tomorrow. Keep it under 30 seconds and don't linger.