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The toddler years are a time of rapid growth and development for a child, with this new world around him or her a vast arena of exploration. Every child develops differently and every child communicates and learns at his or her own pace. Pediatricians have set up guidelines for you to judge if your child is performing within an existing learning curve particular to the age group. These learning guidelines are an average, or percent, and doesn’t necessarily mean that your child should be acting exactly so. What are some of the goals and learning curves for the toddler years and what general achievements can you expect and look for?
Generally, toddlers are always on the move. They express entire sentences and paragraphs with a single gesture or a word. Merely pointing to the cupboard could indicate, “I’m hungry and I’d like some cereal”. As a parent or caretaker, you become familiar with your child’s hand gestures and movements. You should try to encourage your toddler to express his desires in words as well, but not to the point of frustrating the child. A child can only do a limited amount at each month or level. As you pull the box of cereal from the cupboard, you can say, “Would you like a bowl of cereal?” to verbalize the toddler’s demands.
Don’t be fooled by their limited ability to express themselves. Toddlers can understand a great deal more than they can express. They learn by doing, not by being told what to do. A toddler doesn’t understand the concept of right or wrong yet. If he pulls the dog’s tail and gets punished for doing something mean to the family pet, the probability is that a toddler doesn’t get the concept of punishment or right from wrong.
They aren’t very interactive at this age. They much more enjoy playing blocks alongside another child than with another child. The concept of teamwork and interactive play doesn’t develop until later on. You shouldn’t be disappointed when your little one is not actively sharing at this age, as this is a concept that they haven’t developed yet.
Cleaning is a challenge at this age as well, as toddlers adamantly refuse having their hands, face or hair washed. Quickly moving about with a warm washrag and using the stop and tackle method of getting them clean is your best bet as they will not be willing to stand still and let you accomplish this task.
What are some of the guidelines at the toddler age to look out for? During the toddler years, a child will probably be able to speak and be understood about half the time. They should be able to accomplish building a tower of blocks with about 6 cubes or less. They should be able to throw a ball overhand and identify one item in a picture by name.
A toddler may possibly be able to put on an article of clothing by twenty-four months. He may be able to draw a vertical line or carry on a conversation of two or three sentences.
Two to three year olds display such a wide variety of emotions and range of behavior patterns that they are completely unpredictable. One moment they are happy and joyful, and the next moment they are screaming in anger or range. Toddlers for the most part are very vocal about their opinions and desires. If you have specific concerns about your child’s developmental patterns, it may be a good idea to keep a pad handy and jot down some specific scenarios to review with your pediatrician. Make sure to inform your doctor about any health issues existing in the family line to help the doctor perform a proper diagnosis on your child.
Keep in mind that just because a book says your child should be doing something by twenty-six months doesn’t necessarily mean that your child is ready to accomplish this task. What you should be alerted to are major differences in your child’s activity compared to the charts, not minor ones. Keeping an eye on your child’s development as well as informing your doctor of his progress will ensure that you are raising a happy, healthy toddler.
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