You may think of your toddler as a two-year-old, but your 33-month-old is closer to three now. Chances are, he’s a little whirlwind of activity – and a talking whirlwind at that! Your hands may be full dealing with his antics and tantrums (they don’t call it the “Terrible Twos” for nothing), but it’s a good idea to check if your 33 month old is on track with his developmental milestones.
33 Month Old Development: Is Your Toddler On Track?
Physical Development
At 33 months, your toddler loves physical play. Like a little whirlwind, he will run and climb, and more often than not, leave his playroom looking like a typhoon just passed through.
If you’ve embarked on your little one’s toilet training journey, you can expect him to be completely toilet trained during the day. But keep the towels handy. Accidents are still likely to happen.
Gross motor skills
As your 33-month-old enjoys physical play, encourage getting active in the playground. He’ll love the swings and the slides. And he’ll probably try climbing everything, so be on your toes when it comes to safety.
By now, your almost-three-year-old can run and stop suddenly. He’ll manage this without tripping or falling. He’ll also be able to maneuver while running, and avoid obstacles.
Fine motor skills
At this stage, puzzles are a big thing for your little one. He’ll be able to complete simple puzzles, as well as build towers of around eight building blocks.
This is because his hands are becoming more dextrous: 33-month-olds should be able to wiggle their thumb. And this helps them with manipulating small objects. Expect him to be able to draw simple stick figures. Self-portraits and family portraits will be his first masterpieces.
Cognitive Development
Your 33-month-old’s brain is also growing in leaps and bounds. Yes, it’s all happening at the same time, mom! Physical and mental development are both exploding.
At this stage, your toddler should have a good grasp of object permanence – an important milestone in cognitive development. Not only will he know that things don’t “just disappear”, he’ll be able to identify a wide range of objects. He’ll also be able to describe pictures in storybooks.
Get ready to have your first conversations with your toddler!
Speech and Language
Now that your toddler is getting the hang of talking, he’ll be talking up a storm! Expect him to use different conversational tones – happy, excited, sad, and yes (oh yes!) angry. With the ability to ask questions, they will question everything. So spend a lot of time conversing with your toddler. But who are we kidding? This will happen whether you like it or not.
Your first real conversations will happen at around this stage. Your 33 month old can now hold a conversation of two to three sentences. He’ll also be able to speak clearly most of the time and even use prepositions.
If all this talk of talking is getting you tired already, know that there is good news. Your toddler should now be able to follow a simple request. So you can tell him to “get the remote control” or “give mama her phone.” Hooray!
Like all stages of development, it’s important not to freak out if your two-year-old isn’t speaking clearly, asking questions or engaging you about the meaning of life yet. Every child develops in their own time. Just be patient and keep talking to your little one.
Night Terrors
Children in this age range are known to experience night terrors. They make wake up in the middle of the night screaming and shaking in fear – and giving their poor parents a heart attack! They will fall asleep shortly after and have absolutely no memory of it in the morning. This alarming behaviour is called night terrors.
Despite the fright caused by night terrors, it’s nothing to be worried about. If it happens, comfort your child as best as you can, and try to get them to go back to sleep.
Night terrors aren’t all though. Also expect battles with your toddler about going to bed, fear of bugs or monsters, and sometimes even sleepwalking.
Social and Emotional Development
Most 33 month old toddlers are extremely social. They enjoy playing with others and may have a preferred playmate.
They may even have an imaginary friend! This imaginary friend is often used by your toddler as a fall guy for when they misbehave. (“Not me! He did it!”) These friends disappear when children are six or seven years old.
At this age, your child will seek praise and approval. What you think of them means everything to them. Make sure to give him a regular boost of self-esteem.
Health and Nutrition
When it comes to food, 33 month olds are fickle creatures. Some days, they may eat everything in sight. On others, they may not eat at all. Most kids prefer small frequent snacks versus three square meals, so there’s no need to force them to eat every mealtime.
Of course, you can always “trick” them into eating. Present food in funny and imaginative ways. Offer them food choices, but not too many. Above all, model nutritious eating habits. Remember, your little one will do what you do.
In just a few months, your 33 month old will be a three-year-old. Enjoy these whirlwind months when you can. They will be gone all too soon.
Sources: WebMD
Your child’s previous month: Toddler development and milestones: your 32-month-old
Your child’s next month: Toddler development and milestones: your 34-month-old
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore