Toddler development
Information:
AGES: 1 through 3 years
THEORY
Piaget (cognitive development)--Late Sensorimotor includes rudimentary thought inclusive of permanence of objects and people, following visual (then later, invisible) displacement of objects and early use of instruments or tools.
Erickson (personal-social development)--The stage is Autonomy vs. Shame or Doubt as the child learns to adjust to society's demands while trying to maintain autonomy, a sense of self. If unsuccessful at this stage of development, the child may incur a lasting sense of self-doubt and shame.
Freud (psychosexual stages)--The Early Anal stage classically infers that issues surrounding toilet training may lead to conflicts about compliance vs. resistance to external demands or messiness vs. obsessive neatness.
Kohlberg (moral development) --The Pre-Moral stage the child learns about fixed rules, that some things are either "good" or "bad" and focuses upon punishment/consequences. Later, the toddler begins to note that there may be several sides to an issue and tends to decide by what is most pleasurable and learns to barter for what he or she wants.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT- gross motor development milestones
- able to stand alone well by 12 months
- can stoop over, pick up something, and recover to standing
- usually walking well by 12 to 14 months
- once walking well, learns to walk backwards and up steps
- able to kick ball forward at about 15 to 18 months
- able to throw ball overhand at about 15 to 18 months
- may jump in place at 20 to 24 months
- may begin to pedal a tricycle at about 20 to 24 months
- fine motor development
- demonstrates good grasp with thumb opposing fingers
- able to pick up small object (such as a raisin) with neat pincer grasp at about 13 months
- scribbles spontaneously at 12 to 15 months
- can dump items from a bottle at 12 to 16 months
- able to stack 2 cubes at about 12 to 17 months
- able to stack 4 cubes at about 15 to 20 months
- able to stack 8 cubes at about 20 to 26 months
- able to draw a vertical line (after demo) at 15 to 20 months
- able to copy a circle at about 18 to 24 months
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT- uses 3 words (other than Mama or Dada) at 12 to 15 months
- combines 2 words at 14 to 20 months
- able to point to named body parts at 14 to 20 months
- able to name pictures of items, animals at 16 to 22 months
- begins to use plurals at about 20 months
- beginning ability to state first and last name at 22 to 24 months
- may develop 5 to 8 word sentences
- begins to put series of events into chronological order
- may explore story telling
BEHAVIOR
Toddlers are constantly striving for more independence. This creates not only special safety concerns but also discipline challenges. The child has to be taught, in a consistent manner, the limits of appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior. Frustration and anger frequently erupt in the toddler embarking upon activities for which he/she has not developed adequate skills to assure success. Breath holding, crying, screaming, and the classical temper tantrums may be daily occurrences. It is important for the child to learn from experiences and be able to rely upon solid, consistent boundaries defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.
SAFETY
Toddler safety is very important.- From the ages of 1 to 2 years, the child begins the most accident-prone stage of life. It is important for parents to recognize that the child can now walk, run, climb, jump, and explore wherever the environment is unrestricted. This new stage of mobility makes "child proofing" the home essential.
- As during the infancy period, the toddler should be placed in a safety restraint (toddler car seat) whenever he/she rides in a car.
- Do not leave a toddler unattended for even short periods of time. Remember, more accidents occur during toddler years than any other stage of childhood.
- Rules specific to not playing in streets or crossing without adults should be introduced and strictly adhered to.
- Falls are an important source of injury. Keep gates or doors closed to stairways and use guards for all windows above the ground floor. Do not leave chairs or ladders in areas likely to entice the toddler into climbing up to explore new areas. Use corner guards on furniture in areas where the toddler is likely to walk, play, or run.
- When cooking, toddlers should be restricted from the kitchen with a safety gate or placed in a playpen or high chair to eliminate the danger of burns by pulling hot foods off the stove or bumping into the hot oven door.
- Toddlers love to play in water but should never be allowed to do so alone. A toddler may drown even in shallow water in a bathtub. It may be a good age to initiate swimming lessons, but knowing how to swim does not eliminate the need for supervised water-play at this age.
PARENTING TIPS- The toddler years are the time to begin instilling values, reasoning and incentives in the child to conform to accepted rules of behavior. It is important for parents to be consistent both in modeling behavior and in addressing appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior in the child. Positive behavior should be both recognized and rewarded. Time-out may be initiated for negative behavior or exceeding established limits.
- The toddler's favorite word may appear to be "NO!!!" It is important for parents not to follow into a pattern of negative behavior with yelling, spanking, and threatening of their own.
- Teach children names of body parts.
- Stress unique, individual qualities of the child.
- Teach concepts of please, thank you, and sharing with others.
- If not already reading to the child on a regular basis, this is a good time to start as it will enhance the development of verbal skills.
- Girls usually are well into toilet-training. Some boys may not acquire the skill until 3 years of age as their nervous system matures slower than girls.
- Attention spans are short and toddlers are distracted by and attracted to a wide range of stimuli. It may be easier to arrange for someone to stay with the child at home rather than always take a toddler grocery shopping with you.
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The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Copyright 2000 adam.com, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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