The World Is Your Toddler's Oyster - Year One to Year Two

Support your toddler's development through your everyday moments together.

As your child begins his second year of life, he is most likely exploring everything in sight. His sphere is expanding as he walks and begins to talk. As he begins running, jumping, and climbing, he is developing crucial motor skills. He is making strides in playing with other children, and stringing together words to express fuller ideas.

Your toddler's enthusiasm is almost contagious. He wants to do everything and his curiosity is more intense than ever. His world is growing wider as he grows more mobile. Toddlers benefit from routines that set limits and give them a secure launching place for their exploration. Routines establish a sense of predictability as toddlers transition from one phase of childhood to the next.

Physical Development

Your child is still growing rapidly and needs to be healthier than ever; diet and sleep are two crucial components of this. Motor skills are also developing quickly, and your toddler needs experiences to help in this development.

• For proper growth and development, your toddler requires a rich variety in his diet—fruits, grains, vegetables, and protein, in particular. The foundation of your child's food preferences is being set, and although an occasional fast food trip won't hurt, a daily diet of such fare might affect your toddler's notions of healthy eating.
• Sleep is important to memory and learning, since brains need to be rested to work properly. It's not unusual for a toddler to need two naps a day, though every child is different. Don't be surprised if the number or length of naps lessens after she turns two.
• Child-proof your home so your child can explore safely with a minimum of boundaries.
• Your child is developing his ability to use his hands better, which is a fine motor skill. Encourage this process with crayons and markers and large sheets of paper. Help him use his finger to make marks in the sand or on car window condensation. The scribbles that result are his first attempts at writing.
• To develop gross motor skills, or those that involve big muscles, allow plenty of time indoors or outdoors for your child to walk, jump, or climb safely.

Emotional and Social Development

At this age, children have a greater desire to form relationships with other children. Your toddler will benefit from beginning to spend time with other children—whether in play groups, nursery care at church, storytelling hour at the library, or "Mommy/Daddy and Me" classes.

• First and foremost, your child looks to you for reassurance as he moves outward and tries new things. This new, larger world is fascinating and exciting, but it's scary, too. He may need to keep coming back to you every so often to check that everything is okay.
• When your toddler is with other children, let him socialize in ways that fit his stage of development. Age-appropriate play is more likely to be "parallel"—toddlers playing side-by-side but not necessarily together. They may have their own separate toys and once in a while interact with one another. It may not look like "playing together" to adult eyes, but it is.
• Sharing and turn-taking are developing concepts for toddlers, who tend to be egocentric and focus more on their own wants or needs. Toddlers should not be expected to share constantly. Your child is taking his first steps toward forming relationships with others, but it's a process that takes time.
• You can begin exploring the concept of sharing by encouraging it in your own relationship with your toddler and "talking through" what's going on: "Would you like some of my apple? I would like to share it with you."
• Provide opportunities for your child to play with others who may be different in some way, but don't feel the need to make a big deal out of it. Many children grow up "color blind" or "disability blind" and simply relate to others based on how they are treated by them.

Language and Thinking

Language development takes a great leap forward at this age, as your child begins to understand more and is beginning to express himself by putting words together. You can help by elaborating on the word phrases or sounds your child is using.

• During this phase, your toddler is often generalizing by placing several concepts into one category. For example, several animals may be labeled as "ruff-ruffs" or "dog." These are the first steps for your child in understanding that there are groups of items that have things in common. Provide him with ways to extend these categories by labeling different items belonging to a group, for example, "This is a dog and this is a cat. The dog says 'ruff' and the cat says 'meow.'"
• Place your toddler's books where he can easily reach them, so he can spontaneously ask you to read to him. By reading together you are demonstrating how valuable these special times can be.
• You can begin to make reading even more interactive by pointing to pictures and asking your child to tell you what's going on in the picture.
• You may find that your child may want to read the same book or see the same video over and over. Although it may be tiring for an adult, for a toddler, it is his way of learning more about how language works and how it is used in his favorite stories. Over time, you may find he is telling you the story on his own!
• Following directions is another way to encourage your toddler's memory and understanding of language. Start with a one-step instruction, "Can you put the ball into your playbox?" As he gets older, increase to two steps, "Please give me your hat and then put your shoes in the closet." Use daily activities to show your child when you are following directions. For example, talk out loud about what steps you are following while mixing lemonade or cutting vegetables.
• Offering simple ways for your toddler to figure out how the physical world works can engage his natural curiosity and thinking skills. Plastic containers and wooden spoons are wonderful tools for exploring sound making. Containers that he can fill with different sized blocks and dump over and over again create an activity that will allow him to experiment with size, shape, cause, and effect.