Caregiver Tips: Age Ranges
Littles regress to a wide range of ages, and yours might regress to several different ages or ranges of ages! That preference will effect how they’d like to be treated and what kind of things they like. Here are some general facets of each type of regression.
Soft and quiet, or giggly and babbly
Needs lots of help taking care of them self
May prefer crawling to walking
Opt for less stimulation when possible
Soft foods and baby foods like cereals and fruits
Crayons (jumbo helps) and coloring books
Be engaging and try to match their enthusiasm
Overalls and cute t-shirts
Still needs help with a lot
Remind them to hold hands crossing streets
Loves snacks like goldfish, or graham crackers, or chocolate milk
More independent but still need supervision and reminders
Still loves stuffies and some toys
Can read stories to themself, but still likes you to do it
Video games and board games
Wants to help with cleaning and cooking
Might be into tea parties or playing pretend
Lots of tv and video games
Magazines and fantasy books
Still needs your reassurance
Experiments with clothes and hairstyles
Can make food for themself
Express themselves with phone cases, shoelaces, and other accessories
Makes YouTube videos, art, computer wallpapers and other various media showing their regression
Uses big people plates and cups
Doesn’t like being talked down to or babied that much
Still likes hugs and attention though
These are basic types of regression, but your little might have features from multiple groups. For instance, I regress to a little kid age most of the time, but still like sippy cups and pacifiers. They may regress to a baby, but have features of a bigger kid like playing video games. It’s all about what makes them most comfortable. For some, these items and actions are necessary for regression, but for some they may just help them to feel small whether they need it or not.
Above all else, everyone is different, so just ask! If they aren’t sure what they like, that’s ok too. Ages are tricky, so just have fun trying different things together!