5 Things No One Ever Told You About Raising a Toddler (but You Need to Know)

While we as parents want to paint a perfect world for our children — one without bumps and bruises, failures and defeats — they need to stumble and fall in order for them to become what we want them to become. Failures teach tots how to get over adversity, how to become flexible, and how to develop passion.

As Dr. Tovah Klein writes, "Growing and developing is about foibles, slipups, and vulnerabilities, falling down, and making mistakes. A child cannot move forward unless they make mistakes, through trial and error." She also says, "If you can't stumble and fall, you can't take risks — and life is all about risks!"