When a thoughtfully made or carefully chosen toy gets ignored, it’s easy to assume something went wrong. But toddlers don’t engage based on effort or novelty — they engage based on relevance. This reflection explores why DIY toys and store-bought ones serve different developmental roles, and what short moments of attention really mean.

Toddlers often ignore the word “no” — not out of defiance, but because they respond more to tone, body language, and connection than words alone. This post explores what’s really going on when we say “no,” why it often backfires, and what to do instead.