28 month old toddler milestones can come by pretty fast, and it can be hard to keep up with your little tot!
At this age, you’ll notice that your toddler will start becoming even more imaginative. This is the age where they start to imagine different things around them, and become creative. They also start trying out different things and can be somewhat impulsive. If your little one seems restless, or has difficulty concentrating, don’t worry, it’s totally normal!
When it comes to 28 month old toddler milestones, you’ll notice that they start to become curious about the world around them. They will also start having very vivid dreams, and it’s not uncommon for them to share these dreams with you.
This is also the age when they start seeing “things” around their room, or start to get scared of “monsters.” It’s all normal, and it’s important to make them feel safe and reassure them that it’s nothing to be scared about.
Cognitive Development
One of the 28 month old toddler milestones that you’ll notice is your little one starting to use various words to describe the world around them. This is a good time to teach them how to describe what they see.
They’ll also start to gesture to things that they want to do, or places they want to go. A good example is when your little one points to the door, or outside the house; this means that they want to walk or play outside.
Their symbolic thinking skills also start to develop at this stage, and they can make the connection between drawings and real things. They can understand the difference between the drawing of a dog, and a pet dog that they might see.
At this stage, your toddler starts to play pretend, and can take on the “role” of their favorite character on TV, or perhaps in a storybook that you read to them.
Peekaboo! Image courtesy: Stock image
Social and Emotional Development
In terms of their social and emotional development, your toddler starts to develop better relationship skills. Your toddler can sometimes become a bit clingy, and can even start a tantrum if you suddenly have to leave.
If that happens, a good way of dealing with it would be to explain to your child where you’re going and why you have to leave for a bit. Always reassure them that you will come back, and make it a point to reaffirm their good behavior.
As far as 28 month old toddler milestones are concerned, you’ll notice that your little one will start to attempt playing with other kids. However, at this young age, they’re still a bit egocentric, and aren’t always keen on playing with others. Regardless, they’re still curious about the world around them, and they will start becoming more sociable and attempt to play with other kids. It’s always a good idea to encourage this type of behaviour.
Speech and Language
For speech and language, your toddler will start to use different words to describe the world around them. Their vocabulary will be rapidly expanding, but don’t expect that it’ll always be clear.
It’s a good idea to teach them all about colors, shapes, and textures in order for them to understand and learn how to use those words.
Your toddler will also start gesturing and using words to make a request. An example would be when your child gestures towards the door if they want to go for a walk, or goes to the kitchen if they want a snack.
One of the more noticeable 28 month old toddler milestones is when your toddler starts to talk and share their experiences. This is the age where toddlers constantly blabber and start telling stories about themselves. It’s a good idea to ask them about these experiences as it is a good way for them to express themselves through words.
Health and Nutrition
At this stage, toddlers start to become not just picky eaters, but some might lose interest in finishing their meals altogether. They don’t call it the “terrible twos” for nothing!
That’s why it’s important for parents to be patient and calm when it comes to mealtime. It’s best to avoid “bribing” your child with snacks in order for them to finish their meal, as they’ll start to think of food as “good” or “bad” which makes them prefer eating reward foods instead of a proper meal.
Another important thing to remember is to slowly cut back on how much milk your child drinks. Milk can sometimes ruin your child’s appetite for proper meals, so it can even be more difficult to make them finish their food.
Providing them with food that’s rich in iron is also important since anemia is not uncommon during this age. Give them meat, fish, as well as dark green vegetables in order to boost the iron in their system, which helps in the creation of new blood cells.
Tips for Parents
It’s always a good idea to constantly bond with your kids, especially at this age. This is a crucial time in their development where they start to establish relationships with the people around them. This helps build a good foundation for your relationship with your child.
Naps are still very important, even if your toddler might think otherwise. It helps boost their growth and development, and gives them some much needed rest so they can have energy through the rest of the day.
Play is also very important for your child’s development. At this stage, they’re still not keen on “organized” play, so it’s a good idea to just let them explore their toys and figure out stuff for themselves. Encourage your child to play with others so that they can become more sociable. However, make sure to keep an eye on them at all times, since some children can start a habit of hitting other kids in order to get what they want.
Your toddler’s previous month: 27 months
Your toddler’s next month: 28 months
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore