Development 2 - 3 Years

Child Development 2 - 3 Years

Each child develops at their own pace, usually through the same milestones in about the same order. Children grow and learn continually, but not in a smooth flowing pattern. Sometimes they practice skills for quite a while and seem as if they will never move on. Other times they learn many skills very quickly.

Understanding your child’s developing abilities and what they cannot do at each age will help you to:
   • Keep your child safe;
   • Help your child develop;
   • Understand your child’s behaviour;
   • Gain satisfaction and enjoyment from the important role of caring for your child.

Growth and Development

The two-year-old is an exciting combination of baby and toddler, who is constantly busy, exploring the world around and learning about it with every action. This is the two-year-old’s way of developing curiosity and initiative for later life.

Toddler’s have spent the past few months practicing and coordinating their body movements. Walking is nearly perfect and most are running safely. Falls are still common because they cannot avoid obstacles quickly. With practice, by their third birthday, most can:

   • Go up and down steps;
   • Ride a tricycle;
   • Kick or throw a ball;
   • Jump with both feet from small heights.

They can also pick up tiny objects with their thumb and forefinger, as well as hold a pencil to draw and scribble.

Language

The number of words that each child can say varies greatly during this year. Some can talk in small sentences, while others are still at the ‘pointing and hoping to be understood’ stage. Parents can help their child’s language development by:

• Listening and taking notice of what they say;
• Talking with them. The more they are talked to, the more words they know, and the more clearly they can think.

Your child and other people

Children of this age are more interested in things rather than other children. They are not old enough to play with other children their own age, although they will play happily beside them. They do, however, love and need to be near people who they can watch, listen to and imitate.
At this age, they:

   • Have temper tantrums to show their anger of frustration;
   • Often fear loud noises, animals, strangers and falling;
   • Can help dress themselves by three years;
   • Still get confused by complicated instructions;
   • Find it hard to make a choice because they cannot always understand that there are different ways of doing things.

Toddlers of this age do not like change or interruptions. If they are forced, a temper tantrum is often the result. Many tantrums can be avoided by trying not to place your child in a situation that you know creates frustration or boredom (e. g. Going shopping). It may be better to leave your child with a friend or at a child minding centre.
It is best for adults to ignore tantrums, but when they are over, give your child a cuddle to help them forget the episode.

Learning through play

Play is essential to a child’s development. This is the way they learn about many things (e.g. size, weight,length, volume, feel, colour). Children will find out me of these things themselves, but some they can only find out with your help. A balance between helping too much and too little is important, so they can try things without too many failures.
The two-year old needs active physical play and has a great need to explore surroundings. Some playthings for your child at this age are:

   Boxes and cartons to pull, push, carry around, crawl through and sit in;
   Balls to throw and kick;
   Sand to play in;
   Water to splash, pour and fill containers;
   Large beads for threading; Old clothes for dressing up;
   Building blocks;
   Junk materials for sorting (e.g. ice cream containers, pegs, cotton reels, plastic bottle tops);
   Paper and crayons;
   Dolls.

They also love playing with adults and you could try:
   Peek-a-boo;
   Singing songs and nursery
   rhymes;
   Looking at books;
   Going for short walks.

Safety

   • Constant supervision is still necessary for children under three as they cannot understand danger Children of this age are very likely to have accidents as they continually explore their world.
   • Keeping your child in an approved child restrain when traveling in a car;
   • Keeping medicines and garden and household chemicals in locked cupboards;
   • Fencing your swimming pool with an approve fence and self-locking gate;
   • Staying with your toddler at all times when she i in or near water (e.g. pool, ocean, bath, wading pool);
   • Turning the temperature of the hot water system down (your child can now turn on taps);
   • Screening fires, heaters and keeping other dangerous household appliances out of reach;
   • Supervising all play with ropes and toys with strings (e.g. pull-along toys);
   • Always knowing where your child is, 4.vhether indoors or outdoors.

For More Information
If you would like more information about your child’s development, talk to your local child health nurse.

You could also ask at your local library for books on child development.