The time between 24 and 36 months is often known as the “terrible twos” but this is not a very helpful way of describing the emotional roller-coaster little ones are on. Being emotional is a perfectly natural part of growing up and it becomes more evident as your child is showing increased independence. Your toddler’s emotions are easily visible, including feelings of frustration. H/she wants to do things when he/she wants to. Be patient and sensitive in your response and build in extra time so you aren’t trying to rush. Try to go with the flow rather than battle with them. Your toddler at this age is an active explorer who constantly is asking “what?” and “why?” questions and uses what h/she already knows to solve problems. You will see them staring for long periods at an object – trying to discover how it works and what it can do. Better hand-eye coordination allows objects to be investigated more fully. Blossoming language skills are obvious. Their talk makes sense to them and the people that know them yet they still need some help in structuring what they want to say. This is a time when they are very good company with a sense of humour and understanding a lot of what you are saying. Your toddler continues to achieve important milestones during this year but it is important to remember that all children do so at their own pace. The milestones below will give you an idea of what progress you can expect but please do not worry if your child takes a little longer or indeed achieves some of these earlier than indicated. As a parent you have a very important part to play in supporting this development within a loving and caring relationship. The ideas below will help you to support your child’s development.
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