+ Taking Care of Toddlers Growth and Development

+ Toddlers Toddlers are children between the ages of one and three The name toddlers come from the unsteady walk that this age of children has

+ Physical Growth Toddlers will continue to grow taller and heavier Bones and muscles become stronger The toddler’s spine will become more erect Toddlers will begin to lose some of the “baby fat” that they had as infants They will also lose the sway back that causes the cute belly at age 3

+ Physical Changes The biggest change in a toddler’s life is the ability to move around quickly Most toddlers will walk around one year old, although some may not start until almost 16 months old In the beginning, a toddler’s walk is unsteady and uneven Toddlers will have to practice all major gross motor skills in order to perfect them

+ Gross Motor Milestones By the age of one the biggest milestone will be walking At two, toddlers should be able to balance on one foot and jump with both feet off of the ground (at the same time) At age three, toddlers should be able to skip Gross motor skills involve large muscle groups and often include skills such as running, jumping, and balance

+ Gross Motor Skills Around age one, toddlers will begin to climb as much as possible It is important to let toddlers practice this skill in an appropriate and safe place (playgrounds, rock walls, etc) Children are always able to get down from places where they have climbed unaccompanied, although it may take longer At age two, most toddlers can operate wheeled toys such as tricycles and sitting cars

+ Hand Coordination Toddlers will learn to throw a ball, although the technique requires practice and aim will be inaccurate Catching, a skill that requires more hand eye coordination, will be more challenging

+ Fine Motor Skills Fine motor skills are those that use smaller muscle groups such as those in the hands Toddlers will eat with a spoon around months Around the same time, toddlers will begin to practice sipping out of a cup Toddlers can begin to open doorknobs and jars/lids that are not tightly closed Some toddlers may begin to stack blocks and lace beads on string

+ Eating Habits Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters Some toddler become carb loaders and prefer only one or two items consistently (such as mac and cheese and bread) There are many different ways to encourage toddlers to eat a variety of foods

+ Encouraging Healthy Eating Offer a healthy meal, and if it is refused, set it aside until the toddler is hungry enough to comply Add secret nutrients by pureeing veggies or fruit and adding it to favorite items (pureed spinach in pasta sauce) Make healthy food look appealing for children

+ Encouraging Healthy Eating In your groups, brainstorm some ways to make healthy food look appealing, and use the markers and paper to illustrate your ideas

+ Intellectual Growth Toddlers are experiencing a language explosion- adding new vocabulary at a rapid rate Because of this language explosion, toddlers will often shorten difficult words Ex. Nana instead of Grandma Toddlers can understand many more words than they can say To test a toddler’s knowledge of colors, they may have to point to the correct answer instead of saying “yellow” After their second birthday, toddlers are better able to speak in complete sentences

+ Toddler Language

+ Intellectual Growth Toddlers begin to problem solve to achieve goals Ex. If a toddler sees a toy they want on the counter top, they may move a chair to stand on in order to get the toy Toddlers will begin to compare objects Toddlers will begin to learn to classify objects orally Ex. Toddlers can sort by color or shape

+ Intellectual Growth Toddlers, although they are learning quickly, do not yet grasp the concept of volume If a toddler looks at a full skinny glass and a half full very fat glass, which ever one is higher they will assume has more in it

+ Example

+ Social and Emotional Growth Toddlers care most about their parents and caregivers Toddlers begin to use parallel play at around 1-2 and imaginative and peer play closer to 3 Toddlers are beginning to build their own self concept They no longer think that they are the same person as their parent

+ Erik Erikson Erik Erikson calls the toddler phase 2-3, and labels it the age of AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT It is important for Toddlers to recognize that they can accomplish things on their own Dressing themselves, feeding themselves They need to know that when they say no, as long as it is reasonable, they will be respected Toddlers will either gain confidence in their abilities or learn to doubt themselves and have a sense of shame about their inadequacies

+ Tantrums Toddlers have tantrums, in part, because they are attempting to have this autonomy When trying to convince a toddler to comply with you, you will be more successful if you give them choices Ex. Do you want to run to the car, or walk, or skip? Ex. Would you like to brush your teeth first or get dressed? Ex. Would you like to wear this shirt or this one?

+ Tantrums Toddlers do not have complete control over their emotions You should not expect a toddler to calm down in a full blown tantrum just because you ask them to or give them a consequence As long as the toddler is safe, allow them to throw their fit and then come back later to discuss

+ Scenario You are at the grocery store with a 2 year old you are babysitting. The toddler asks for candy, and when you say no he starts to cry loudly and ask you over and over. When you again say no, he falls on the floor and kicks and screams loudly. What do you do?