Your child will experience a large amount of cognitive development between one and two years old with many delightful smaller toddler milestones along the way. Here are six to look out for.
Walking and talking are the toddler milestones that are the most memorable but there are many smaller milestones that your toddler will achieve between the ages of one and two.
Knowing body parts
Toddlers can start pointing to their own facial features when asked, “Where’s your nose?” by about 13 months, and by 24 months, should know at least 10 body parts. While the cognitive fundamentals need to be in place for your child to start achieving this, you can help her by showing and telling her body parts’ names when you dress her and bath her. At Wriggles and Giggles, we include lots of body part song, dance and sign activities.
From first words to sentences
Your baby’s first word usually makes an appearance around the first birthday, but when they turn two, they should be speaking in phrases or short sentences. Starting at about 18 months, your toddler will probably start issuing short instructions, such as “carry me”, as well as making observations about the world around her, like “dog barking!” At Wriggles and Giggles, we include lots of short clear instructions and the children learn from watching each other and copying.
To support verbal development, don’t limit your speech to what your child knows. Give instructions or make observations in full sentences, and read books to your child, asking questions about what’s happening on the pages.
Wriggles and Giggles deliver face to face group sessions in Yarm, Hartburn, Ingleby Barwick that you can join by booking a sessions that best suits you, if you are a parent or carer to an early years child from birth. All areas of learning are covered for your child's development and your own understanding of how that happens and how to get the best outcome for them with your parenting techniques.
https://www.wrigglesandgigglesnortheast.co.uk/book-online
Pretending
Between 18 and 24 months, most toddlers start acting out things that they have seen adults do with a specific purpose, like answering phones, carrying handbags, kissing a dolly. They aren’t just imitating, they are starting to pretend. From this milestone, a whole world of imaginative play will open up incrementally for your child until it’s almost as if they are living your life in miniature. At Wriggles and Giggles parents join in the fun interactive activities and enjoy them too and younger children develop quicker from seeing this and other children and they copy.
Jumping
Something that seems so easy to an adult actually requires strength, coordination and courage for your little one. Most toddlers only get to the jumping milestone at around 24 months or just after, but that won’t stop them from trying a little body movements from about 18 months but usually failing to get both feet off the ground at the same time. At Wriggles and Giggles, there are lots of opportunities to use the body and copy others in all kinds of movement.
Drawing
Most children can grasp a crayon and move it around on a page when they are 12-13 months old. But don’t expect their work to look like anything other than a few squiggles for at least another year or so. Towards the end of their second year, they might start to tell you that their drawings represent something but you’ll be hard pressed to discern the “dog” amidst all the green scribbles. That shouldn’t stop you from praising them. Always keep art materials easily available to nurture your budding artistic talent. At Wriggles and Giggles, we have some regular activities that promote grasp and drawing.
Taking care of themselves
This milestone can be a blessing and a curse. Quite soon after their first birthdays, toddlers start trying to feed themselves. This is not often a huge success, but that doesn’t stop them from being very determined to do it without your help. This milestone applies to everything, from dressing themselves to pushing lift buttons. This budding independence takes oodles of patience from you because everything takes four times as long and sometimes still doesn’t get done. Try to take the time to allow your toddler these first steps towards taking care of themselves so that you don’t get locked into battles of wills and frustration. At Wriggles and Giggles, we help you with all kinds of parenting techniques and have lots of tips and ideas to help manage battles with toddlers. Our leader has 30 years of child development and child psychology experience and is at every session. You will be amazed at what you will learn while having fun with your early years.
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