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The Third Year
My little Luke just turned 2 years old and he is starting a new phase in his life! We’ve both learned and grown so much in the past two years, and we’re excited for what’s still to come! Read on to find out more about Your developing Toddler. Understanding what your child is going through will help you get to know him better and this is turn will help you to teach him important life skills.
The following blog article is just a guide, keep in mind that not all children are the same, and each one develops at his own pace. If you are truly concerned with your child’s development it is best to seek help from a Health Care Professional.
During the third year of life your child will continue to develop into a physically dexterous, verbally competent, and emotionally expressive individual. He will also begin to experience just what a magical, if sometimes frustrating, place the wider world can be.
24 to 36 Months
Your two year old’s growing independence and the pleasure he derives from his discoveries makes this an exciting time. You can still expect him to let you know just how he’s feeling – He will express himself openly with tears and smiles.
1. Physical Development
Your two year olds physical ability has progressed in leaps and bounds over the last 12 months and now he can walk, run and climb.
What your developing toddler needs over this next period are lots of opportunities to use his body and explore his capabilities, building greater strength in his limbs and increasing his coordination. Although your child may be unable to continually jump and hop at this stage, for example, it won’t be long before he incorporates an occasional hop, skip or jump as he runs or walks. These skills have their own momentum and will become easier with practice.
2. Love repetition
You may find your child requests the same book over and over again. Children of this age love repetition, and sometimes object if you deviate from exactly what is written. They feel comfortable hearing the same stories over and over, and this repetition helps them to learn. They may also remember or recognize the odd word, and then notice it again if they see it somewhere else. You will probably find they like playing the same action songs, rhymes, and clapping games over again too.
Luke enjoys “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and says ‘atishoo, atishoo’ before pretending to fall down in “Ringa-ringa-rosie” He claps along to “If you’re happy and you know it”.
3. Learning Skills
Your child will make great progress throughout this year as his language skills develop and he begins to gather and express information in ways other than physical exploration alone.
Learning Through Play
Giving your child lots of opportunities to explore what his body is capable of doing can help his physical development and his self-esteem. Help him develop his memory skills, too, by playing voice and video recordings and matching picture games.
Outdoor playgrounds with swings and slides to enjoy are good as there are usually other children to share the experience, which also helps your child learn about taking turns. (With the Covid-19 pandemic still continuing, as a parent you will have to use discretion regarding where you allow your child to play and with whom.)
Soft modeling clay/ putty is a delight in itself, and you child may enjoy just squeezing it through his fingers before getting involved in more imaginative play. Creating flat shapes and making impressions in the dough with pastry cutters or even just making hand prints allows him to explore all sorts of interesting possibilities with modeling clay.
Matching shapes or pictures is an important observational and pre-Maths skill. You may have given your child a shape-sorter, and then moved on to a puzzle where he has to select and place a flat shape into a matching place on the board. Now this skill can be developed into a simple game of similarities and dissimilarities. This in turn helps extend language skills to communicate ideas, observations, and feelings.
Toy box Ideas to Improve your child’s abilities:
Picture Game – Choose pictures that your child can grasp easily with simple images. Use only a few images to begin with, as he gets older he can memorize more pictures.
Books – Although your child will love reading the same stories over and over again, make sure you keep him stimulated by occasionally borrowing books from your local library to vary the complexity of pictures and introduce new types of stories.
Acornkids Five Little Monkeys – Counting Rhymes with touch and feel Book
A charming collection of well-loved number rhymes, including Five Little Monkeys. With adorable illustrations that will delight young readers and exciting textures for little hands to explore! Hard Cover, 10 pages, 15 cm x 12.5 cm, Age 2+
R90.00
The Benefit Of Books
If you say you are going to read a story to your child, his memory of what this involves and the pleasure he knows he will derive from it make him more willing to focus on the book for the time it takes to read a story.
He can then use this knowledge about what books involve and how to enjoy them to look at books by himself. This helps with developing his concentration and lengthening his attention span, while also gradually extending the range of his vocabulary.
Scrapbook materials – Choose round-end scissors that are easy for your developing toddler to open and shut with one hand, and a water-based glue that actually sticks but which can be easily washed off hands and clothes.
Painting equipment – Choose paint specifically designed for young children that will wash out of clothing. Thick finger paints in bright colours are the best choice. If you buy brushes, choose large brushes that are easy to hold.
Acornkids Roll-It! Body and Craft Paint
A brightly coloured Roller Paint, ideal to encourage creativity at home, in the bath or during craft projects. Sit in the bath and roll the paint over the skin. Or paint on paper or board to create fun artworks. No spillage. Available in Red, Blue and Yellow, mix Yellow and Blue to create Green. 50ml each.
R29.50
Bath Time – Integrate the daily activities of your developing toddler with bath products that magically transform bath time into time of learning, growth and exploration. Acornkids products add a splash colour and enjoyment to your child’s day.
Acornkids Soap Putty
A wonderfully different bath soap, which provides a tactile experience and stimulates the imagination. It is soap-free and gently cleanses the skin. Enriched with Sweet Almond Oil to moisturise and nourish, and China Clay to cleanse. This fun soap comes in an acorn-shaped container with a shape cutter inside. Mould into any shape, like play dough, or cut out a shape – then use your creation to wash.
Comes in Red, Blue, Yellow and Green.
R53.00
Tricycle – Tricycles are good for outdoor play. Let your child get used to pushing himself along with his legs and learn how to steer before showing him how to use the pedals.
4. Emotional Development
Expressing emotion – You can expect spontaneous and genuine shows of affection from your child by this stage, especially if similar attention has been lavished on him. It makes it much easier for him to accept and value other people’s feelings if he feels accepted and valued too.
Managing emotion – Your developing toddler may feel overwhelmed by the force of their emotions sometimes hence the full-blown tantrum. These situations need specific management skills but it also helps to keep in mind what might trigger such extremes of emotion. Some children cannot manage emotionally as well as others when they are tired or hungry, for example. In the middle of an emotional maelstrom it is worth remembering that your child is also capable of expressing positive emotions. So finding an activity to share, which he enjoys and allows him to express his happier side, will help his self-esteem, and increase your own pleasure.
Sources: 1. Johnsons Mother & Baby. Pregnancy Birth and the first three years of your baby’s life. 2. Acornkids.
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link I may receive a small commission.
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