your developing
toddler

Your little one’s second year is full of milestones. Help her to make the changes from baby to toddler to child as smoothly as possible and encourage good social and physical development

You’ll really notice big changes as your little one leaves her baby days and develops into an active toddler. By the time your child is two, she’ll be quite a chatterbox. Her language development will probably have followed this sort of pattern:
12 months: she probably recognises her own name and says ‘mama’ and ‘dada’
18 months: she can say up to 20 words but will recognise many more
Two years: she will have a vocabulary of about 200 words by her second year and will be able to put two words together (‘big dog’). Longer sentences probably won’t be formed for a while.
Don’t worry if your child doesn’t appear to be following this pattern. Some children barely speak at all for the first two years then wow you with fully formed sentences. If you are at all concerned though, speak to your GP or health visitor.

Some children barely speak at all for the first two years then wow you with fully formed sentences

Try distraction techniques. Keep calm and don’t lose your temper. Ignore the disapproving glances of other people. Don’t give in to your toddler’s demands.

help your toddler's language skills

It’s crucial to remember that talking is a two-way process – a conversation – and it’s important that you talk to your child as much as possible. Chat constantly to your child about what you’re doing or where you’re going, maintaining eye contact as much as possible.

Read books together – picture books, pop-up books, noisy books. It’s never too early to start and give her a good grounding before she begins school. Sing songs and rhymes – repetitive, rhythmic songs help language development. Always name things repeatedly as you point to them – ‘Look at the flower. Can you see the flower? Isn’t the flower pretty?’ Don’t correct or criticise – most two-year-olds will frequently mispronounce words. If your child says a word wrongly (such as ‘tat’ for ‘cat’) just say it back correctly (‘Do you want to stroke the cat?’). Don’t have music, the radio or the TV on constantly – background noise makes learning to talk more difficult. Talk about the shape and colour of flowers, trees and any objects you encounter. Introduce counting (how many flowers, how many trees, how many dogs...). She may not understand, but you are introducing her to the learning process.

tantrum time

You may have experienced tantrums for a while now, but as your child passes her second birthday, the ‘terrible twos’ may kick in and aggressive behaviour, such as biting, kicking and pushing, will possibly be added to the mix. Remember that lots of toddlers bite or kick or push sometimes. As toddlers may not understand that this behaviour hurts, explain it to them carefully and repeatedly. Don’t bite or hit back to demonstrate – that makes the behaviour seem acceptable. Take your toddler out of the situation until she calms down.

Aggressive behaviour is often attention-seeking, so this will prove it is not a successful tactic. Remember, try to stay as calm as possible – if necessary walk into another room – and always be full of encouragement and reward good behaviour.

Extreme behaviour usually happens because toddlers cannot yet deal with their emotions, so do whatever you can to ease the frustration. Talk to your child and give her lots of opportunities to express herself. At Mothercare and early learning centre you’ll find a fantastic range of books and toys designed to help your little one’s development at this important time. For more information visit www.elc.co.uk

reward good behaviour

A great way of encouraging good behaviour in your child is to reward her when she is well-behaved. Positive attention and praise is highly effective as it helps your child make an immediate connection between what you are saying in relation to their behaviour.

Rewards charts are highly effective. By collecting stickers/stars for good behaviour, your child will receive a reward, such as a special treat or an outing. Treats can be anything from helping you to make a cake to a trip to the swings in the park or a painting session with you. Make sure it’s something fun with a little twist to ensure your child looks forward to it.

You can also take stickers away if your child behaves badly. By setting goals with the potential for special treats, your child will be actively engaged and eager to behave well.

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your developing toddler

your developing
toddler