Every child goes through periods of rapid development in their life that parents should be aware of so that they know to expect. The first is, of course, after they are born and they go from a tiny infant into a baby capable of sitting up and making sounds and connecting. And there’s the teenage period where they start testing boundaries and trying to figure out just who they are and where they fit in the world. 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.
A lot happens after age one but before age two and it happens very rapidly. By 14 months, a child can walk well on its own, crawl upstairs, drink from a cup and use a spoon and can build things composed of two blocks as opposed to one. By 15 months, their vocabulary will have expanded to anywhere from 10 to 15 words; they will understand the word “no” and how to use it in context and they can let someone know that they need changing. By 18 months they can walk backwards and sideways and run well though they fall easily; they can climb stairs and furniture; they can attempt to draw straight lines; they can use phrases composed of both adjectives and nouns and they also begin throwing tantrums.
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 dramatically improve to the point where they can walk upstairs on their feet while holding the railing; they can build objects using multiple blocks; they can control spoons and cups very well on their own and they can become toilet trained during the day. They will have a vocabulary of about 350 words, be able to follow simple commands and help dress 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.
Between two and three there are many more jumps that you should know so you know what to expect the toddler years. From 2 to 3, kids start participating in parallel play, where they play alongside but not with other kids. They are able to anticipate certain routines in schedules and their need for naps starts to gradually decrease. They also able to start using toys in imaginative ways and put together puzzles with small objects. This time is filled with great change is one of the most formative times in a child’s life so it’s important to understand what to expect the toddler years, said the author who’s a pro in psychometric testing. He used to deal with medic alert bracelet as well as vitamins supplements. Now he’s using his expertise in psychometric testing to help parents.