Please
keep in mind that all children are unique. Whether your child
reaches milestones early or late, she has her own developmental
path to follow. The dividing lines between these months are
very fuzzy. If you have any concerns or questions about your
child's development, please check with her health care provider.
Your Baby Is Active
Your child is walking well now. She is very active and is
jumping, running and playing all the time. Her steps are more
even and she's got the hang of the smooth heel-to-toe motion
adult's use. She's also getting better at jumping, throwing
a ball overhand, brushing her teeth without help, and washing
and drying her hands. Thus she is learning to take acre of
her own requirements a
nd
needs without your help. Your child can now handle small objects
with ease. She can stack blocks, knock over towers, pull off
her shoes, turn book pages, and hold a cup with one hand.
She might even be able to balance on one foot for a second
or take a big jump forward with her feet together.
Learning to make sentences
By now, your child should be able to use at least 50 single
words, construct simple two-word sentences, and be able to
follow a two-step command, like "Please get your shoes and
bring them to Dad so he can put them on." You can probably
understand what she's saying about half the time, but don't
expect to make sense of everything she says until she's around
4. Young children often confuse pronouns - so you might find
her avoiding them completely by saying "Ball get" or "Baby
throw."
Losing weight
Your toddler will keep slimming down after her second birthday.
Don't worry…this is very normal. As her head grows more slowly
and her limbs and torso start to lengthen, gradually her body
proportions will become more like an adult's. So don't worry
that maybe you are not feeding her properly and make a fuss
if she doesn't eat properly. This is the basic change that
will take place.
Controlling impulses and negative
behaviour
Your child is slowly developing the ability to control her
actions - but at this age, she's still prone to a fair amount
of pushing, shoving, yelling, and tantrums. You can't expect
perfect behaviour from her all the time. Keep reminding her
that talking gets better results than acting out - and make
sure you praise her when she makes an effort to communicate
with words. Also she might want to know certain things and
will ask you lots of questions. You have to be patient with
her. Helping your child understand the "why" of rules will
make it easier for him to follow them. Explain that we do
some things to stay safe - such as holding hands while crossing
the street, and wearing shoes outside. Keep your rules reasonable,
clear, and consistent, and be patient while he learns to follow
them. Most kids will need a lot of gentle reminders.
Needs less sleep
Between ages 2 and 3, children need between nine and 13 hours
of sleep a night. Most children also take a nap in the early
afternoon, but some give up naps entirely. There's no right
amount of sleep at this age. Let your child get what she needs
to feel alert and rested.
