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Taking Care of ToddlersGrowth 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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZiNvBS7Ruo

+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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8GJGHnmZ1Y

+Gross Motor Skills

Around age one, toddlers will begin to climb as much as possible http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9yvmw97210

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydCOCPgNe_8

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 15- 22 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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdt-yBN76uw

+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?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqKv6g9GBtE

+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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6NzGj1eWc0

+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?