37 Month Old Development and Milestones: Is Your Kid on Track?
Physical Development
Your 37 month old little one is growing up really well so far. With improved gross motor skills, your child is so much better at climbing up and sliding down on their own on the playgrounds this month. Which also means you can start to breathe easier now instead of watching over them like a hawk.
Added control over their fine motor skills also means being able to use safety scissors and trace simple letters. Other fine motor skills to expect in your 37 month old child include being able to carry drinks with minimal spilling, turning pages in a book, as well as dressing and undressing without assistance.
If you have been giving them an early start on the proper way to hold a pencil, some might be able to do this right about now. Nevertheless, do not be discouraged if they can’t. Continue to encourage them and they should be able to do it soon enough.
Tips:
- They may continue to exert their independence by trying to do certain things themselves. Sometimes they might need someone to help, other times they succeed without much effort. Still, patience is key when stepping back to allow them to figure it out on their own.
- To strengthen your child’s pincer grasp, try providing him or her with coloured beads or buttons to sort according to colour. But remember to supervise them when doing this activity as small items can become choking hazards.
- Give your kid a wide selection of arts and crafts material for drawing, cutting and pasting.
- Quiet books may not be so popular anymore today, but they are really great for fine motor skills especially if the designs include buttons, zippers, snaps and laces.
When to talk to your doctor:
- When your child frequently falls or has difficulty with stairs or has trouble manipulating small objects
Cognitive Development
Despite still being unable to distinguish between real and fantasy, your little one’s role-playing is becoming more and more realistic. They might play doctor or copy you by playing mom! They can even make up their own simple stories and make-believe with dolls and other toys.
Rejoice, because your child can more or less understand the flow of daily routines and follow simple instructions. However, rounding them up and getting them ready to go out can still be a hair-pulling experience if they choose not to listen. For now, your little one only has an attention span of four to eight minutes, so try not to drown them with too many instructions at once. Your child may still find it quite challenging to combine two activities at the same time.
Tips:
- Let your child practice sorting by getting them to pair clean socks from the laundry. Chores can be done faster (hopefully) and your little one gets to learn numbers. Win-win!
- Introduce games involving counting and opposites.
- Flashcards that teach them about animal sounds, shapes and colours are great too!
When to talk to your doctor:
- When your child is unable to build a tower of more than four blocks and doesn’t engage in pretend play.
Social & Emotional Development
As part of 37 month old child development milestones, your little one can play better now in a group by taking turns, sharing and even co-operating.
What’s new this month is your child’s ability to greet familiar adults, so what better time to work on some basic manners! Soon your little tot might be saying “please” and “thank you” without any prompting!
Your toddler would have already experienced a broad range of feelings, like jealousy, excitement, fear, happiness and anger. This is part and parcel of a 37 month old child’s developmental milestones. Despite being more even-tempered and cooperative now, your little one may still occasionally have his or her moments of frustration.
Tips:
- Be sure to encourage play dates with friends they regularly play with.
- Keep praising them when they do well at turn-taking during everyday routines. This positive move will really encourage them.
- If they still find it hard to share and take turns, you can try playing simple games that require
turn-taking, e.g., simple card games like Old Maid. Not only are they a fun way to teach them about taking turns, it also teaches them to follow rules.
- Be available and give your chatty little one your full attention when they are talking. Your interest in what they have to say will help them to feel loved and secure.
- Light responsibilities/chores not only teach them to help around the house, it will also make them feel like they have a special and important role in the family.
- Parents can teach their kids about acceptable ways to cope with frustration and anger by being good examples themselves.
- Talk to them when trying to understand why they are throwing a tantrum. Your child will feel more supported when dealing with negative emotions.
- There are plenty of children’s books that can teach them to better understand their own emotions and also to empathize with others, such as Grumpy Bird and Glad Monster, Sad Monster.
When to talk to your doctor:
- When your toddler shows no interest in interacting with other children and makes poor eye contact.
Speech & Language Development
Spontaneous, lively, and talkative characterize a 37 month old child. Don’t expect those inquisitive questions to stop anytime soon! However, do make a point to be mindful of your actions and words because they will be copying every little thing you say and do.
There’s nothing more your child enjoys at their 37 month old development mark than books, simple songs, nursery rhymes and even talking gibberish. But a surefire way to encourage improvements in their language skills is to continue reading and talking to them.
Currently, they should have an average of about 900 words and can usually form five word sentences. Aside from recognising certain letters and words, your child would also be able to follow a three-part command.
