As your baby grows, she will become increasingly assertive about what she wants and doesn’t want. When she becomes mobile, she wants to explore the world around her, without any sense of what is safe. This is the beginning of a phase in which parents must begin to set limits and curtail their child’s exploration. It is easy to get into a battle of wills with your growing toddler, as his developing sense of self is so often expressed by “no” or opposing the wish of the parent. Although your toddler’s angry protestations are also the underpinnings of his crucial ability to assert himself, this can feel impossible in the moment for a mother to appreciate. Rather, she might experience his anger as a personal assault on her authority or as a reflection of her failure to be a good parent.

Parents are often confused about why seemingly innocent events set their toddler off and can, at times, develop into tantrums. “Why does my 14 month old scream, cry and thrash about when I try to change her diaper?” a mother asks. “She loved having her diaper changed a few months ago.” In fact, for her young toddler, having her body held down and manipulated now feels like an impingement on her newfound sense of physical autonomy. Similarly, for a toddler to be interrupted from his play and told it is time to go outside can feel like a sudden assault on his toddler selfhood. These scenarios can develop into an ongoing struggle between mother and child, possibly ending with the toddler having a tantrum and leaving both mother and child feeling misunderstood.