Say "hello" to your brand new two-year-old toddler (plus one month!). What a long way your little one has come in such a short time. Just two years ago, he was a helpless newborn. And now, he's running, jumping, skipping and maybe even talking! What should you expect in terms of 25 month old toddler development milestones*?
Let's find out.
*Please keep in mind that toddler development milestones are not set in stone, and every child will grow at his own pace. However, should you be concerned about your little one's growth, do consult your pediatrician.
25 Month Old Toddler Development
Physical Changes
Where has all that baby fat gone? Gone are their chubby arms and legs. Suddenly your little tot is lengthening and starting to look more like a preschooler (with preschooler sass to boot).
And your toddler WILL test your patience especially when they are trying to assert their independence at the worst times.
While their actions may seem intentional and deliberate, try to remember that at this age, they are usually motivated by curiosity and not malice. So as annoying as it may be, try to remain patient instead of losing your cool.
When it comes to food, don't be too worried if on some days they devour everything and on other days they push their meal away. Their caloric needs are fewer now, so do not stress. They will be just fine if you continue to offer them nutritious meals and snacks.
Tips:
- If you are worried about your child's health issues later in life, you might want to consider switching your tot to low-fat options. But do not go overboard with restrictions, because they still need healthy fat to grow.
- Your growing toddler with benefit from a boost in fibre-rich whole grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies, along with lean sources of protein such as poultry and fish.
- Parents with picky eaters can try cutting food into funny shapes or adding food that has natural vibrant colors (e.g. beetroot, carrots, dragon fruit) to make a meal appear more appealing.
To see uninterrupted 25 month old toddler development, be sure to provide your toddlers with nutritious meals and snacks.
Social Skills
While they might seem like they want to do everything themselves now, you will still experience clingy episodes where they come running back to mum. After a quick cuddle and words of affirmation, they will be off to do their own thing again.
Don't be surprised if your toddler is mostly self-centered at this age. He is still trying to grasp the concept of sharing and is yet to fully develop the skills needed to play cooperatively.
However, one thing parents can definitely look forward to is hearing cute and unrestrained bursts of laughter, now that your little tot can understand humor a little better.
Tips:
- It is normal if your toddler shows frustration and lashes out when he fails at building a block tower or completing a game when playing with others. This is because they have yet to develop empathy and understanding of other’s needs or feelings.
- Sticking to routines will really help to reduce temper tantrums. But if they throw one in public, remember to keep your cool before taking them to a side to determine the cause of their tantrum. However some toddlers can be really resilient to change sometimes, so be prepared to be flexible.
- Remember that everything they do at this age is completely driven by impulses (or curiosity). They are unable to reason yet, so patience is key.
Emotional Skills
As part of 25 month old toddler development, they will start forming bonds with their favorite things. For this reason, they can be quite possessive about a favorite toy, for example, and refuse to share.
Tips:
- Even though they may not fully understand people's emotions for a few more months, it is still important to teach them that lashing out physically is unacceptable.
- It would be good to start setting boundaries, but sometimes your toddler may respond better to humour and distraction rather than strict discipline or reason.
- Parents can lead by example when teaching toddlers how to share. By sharing your things while respecting their possession, you'll teach them to be less protective towards their belongings. Role-playing is a great way to practice sharing. Show them that even when they share something with other people, it will be returned back to them safely.
Gross Motor Skills
At 25 months, your child should be learning to run smoother, turn corners easier, go up and down the stairs, and jump. Not only will parents be running after their very own little Speedy Gonzales, they better watch out because they will also develop the skill to walk backwards, right about now.
Oh, and did we mention that they will also be capable of opening cupboards and drawers?
Tips:
- Children at this age are extremely resourceful and have no concept of danger. Therefore don't wait for them to hit their 25 month old toddler development milestones before you decide to start childproofing.
- Always have a checklist on hand to ensure that your home is a safe place for your toddler to explore. Drawers and bookshelves should always be anchored to the walls to avoid them from toppling over, should your toddler decide to climb up.
- Do take your toddler outdoors so they stretch their muscles and have a spot of fresh air. Give them some freedom to explore but remember to keep a close eye on them to keep them safe.
Fine Motor Skills
You may have noticed that as part of a 25 month old toddler development timeline, their level of play has progressed to something more complex. All of a sudden they are able to stick with one activity for longer periods of time.
However, from 25 to 27 months of age, your toddler will still try to solve simple problems via trial and error. Parents might feel the need to offer assistance, but toddlers would probably refuse as a way of asserting their independence. But don't worry because they will get there by practicing over and over until they have perfected their game.
Tips:
- Give your toddler a variety of simple puzzles to play with to help with eye-hand coordination.
- Make pretend toys, blocks, musical toys as well as push or ride toys are great for enhancing your toddler's grip and other fine motor skills. Toys that teach cause and effect are great for mental development
- Simple arts and craft projects are not only a great way to keep those little hands busy, they also expand a child's creativity and innovation.
25 month old toddler development: Puzzles and blocks will definitely keep them busy for longer now.
Language and Cognitive Skills
Language
By now, your little one can more or less understand just about everything you say. They are able to follow simple instructions and understand simple questions, although this does not necessarily mean they will follow all of them.
Not every child can be expressive at 25 months. But there is no need to compare them to other children of the same age, as this skill varies from child to child.
However, one thing for certain is the huge leap in language skills. Some toddlers might start to say some favorite words on their own. And soon enough they will start putting two words and simple sentences together.
This sort of loving interaction cannot be replaced by educational videos or flashcards. Most of all, he wants to share his discoveries -- including learning words -- with you.
Tips
- To support their budding language development, be diligent with their routine daily reading.
- Let them chose a book of their liking to be read. Then discuss what they see in the pictures on every page.
- It is important for parents to maintain this sort of loving interaction with their toddler which cannot be replaced by TV or technology. Even 5-10 minutes a day of lap-time reading will be an enormous support to their language refinement and overall brain development.
- They will be extremely inquisitive and may ask a lot of questions! Remember to always be patient even when they may not be able to express themselves properly.
Cognitive Skills
While your toddler’s brain development would have improved by leaps and bounds, the biggest improvement is their ability to stay focused on one thing for longer periods of time. While being able to focus is part of 25 month old toddler development, this also means toddlers at this age might get totally absorbed in play because they have no sense of time.
Still, the biggest change in your toddler's development will centre around their need to assert independence. They will push boundaries and test your limits, but most of the time they just want to do everything themselves.
Tips
- Give your toddler plenty of guidance to help them make the transition to a new task.
- Try not to compare your toddler's progress with other 25 month old toddler development milestones other kids might display. Instead, allow them to develop at their own pace as long as no red flags are raised.
It might be especially hard for some parents during this 25 month old toddler development stage, especially when their children continue to press buttons push their limits.
But the key point during this phase is to remain patient and encouraging at all times - even on difficult days. Remember your toddler still acts on impulse and still do not have the capacity to reason. So before handling any situation, take a deep breath and remind yourself to remain calm.
We know this might be an exciting and somewhat trying time for you and your child. Try not to worry so much and hang in there! There is light at the end of the tunnel. There's also so much more for you and toddler to explore, to look forward to, and to learn from one another.
Source: WebMD
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Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore