A Guide On What To Expect The Toddler Years

There are a few of times in a child’s life when they go through a period of rapid development that would seem almost impossible.  The toddler years are defined as the period between babyhood and childhood – in other words, the ages of one to three years old.  And the third is when they are teenagers who go through radical body changes that help determine who they are as an adult.  But there is another stage in between that’s perhaps the most fascinating – the toddler stage, which goes from ages 1 to 3; this stage can be very confusing and there is a lot that goes into knowing what to expect the toddler years.

Before a child turns two years old, a lot seems to happen in terms of their development and it happens very rapidly.  When they reach 14 months, a child can walk on their own, crawl upstairs and are beginning to use things like cups and spoons.  At 15 months their vocabulary expands to 10 to 15 words; they can understand what saying “no” means in t he context of a situation; and they can let their parents know when their diaper is wet.  When they reach 16 months they can run well although they fall easily and walk backwards and sideways; they can use phrases that have both adjectives and nouns; they start throwing tantrums; and they can climb stairs and furniture.

And then comes 2-years-old, the “terrible twos”.  Children typically weigh 24 pounds, are around 30 inches tall and they have 12 of their 20 total temporary teeth (by 2 ½ they will have acquired the full set).  Their motor skills improve as well; they can walk upstairs on their feet while holding a railing; build things with many blocks; control spoons and cups well on their own and they can master toilet training during the way.  Their vocabulary also expands to include about 350 words and they are able to follow simply commands and even help dress and undress themselves.  This is also the period during which they see themselves as individuals but other children only as objects; this leads to an “everything is mine” phase.

Parents should also know what to expect the toddler years after age two as well.  They are able to participate in parallel play – playing alongside other children well although still not with them.  They are able to anticipate a day’s routine and the need to nap slowly starts to decrease.  They also learn to parallel-play, which is playing alongside but not with other children.  This is truly a fascinating time in a child’s life when their personalities start to shine through.