Toddlers, the period that is considered to be a graduation to a second year of life, are known to be children who are developing through different changes in life which are physically, psychologically and social development. Physically, these changes can be considered to be movements (Motor movements that are fine and gross motor developments) skills, body controlling, hand and finger controlling and increase in weight and length. Socially, Speech, attachments combined with fears and behavior can be identified. This stage is considered to be a milestone in a toddler’s life.
With all the above, it is known that this is a time when toddlers start learning on how to walk when they are between one and two-year old. This stage is considered to be very important stage in the life of a child since this is the period between infancy and childhood. This is a time when intellectual, emotional, social and physical welfare of children are put into consideration. In this stage, toddlers develop some characteristics of learning and at the same time growing physically. Whatever you do to the toddler especially the behavior brings a lot of meaning in his life since each and every stage of growth in a toddler is digested in a toddlers mind. The stages are characterized in a way a toddlers development occur, for instance the ability to learn on how to walk, talk, solve some issues, relate to one another, eat and many more. With time, toddlers learn to discover some things by themselves hence wanting to be independent.
With the observations above, it has to be noted that, from the time of birth, toddler’s life has got lots of inspirations. Growth and changes in terms of moods can be seen. That is why in their lives, they are ever long on will and short on skills (AussieChildcareNetwork, 2010). With this in mind, it is meant that this is a stage that toddlers become more energetic with skills and ideas wishing to learn the surrounding environment and start admiring at themselves like the other people around them. They try to behave like adults who are independent but with their small age, they are still dependant to whoever is taking care of them. They seem to be selfish in whatever they possess because to them, it belongs to them but no one else. For example try to take or snatch something from the toddlers and then have a look at their behavior, you will be amazed with their behavior.
The only limitation the toddlers have is the rights of expression. Expressing whatever they have in mind or heart becomes difficult to them. They get so much frustrated especially when they pass a message of which no one can understand at all. The toddlers can get happier whenever they discover whatever message that has been passed by them has been put into consideration. That’s the time you see them laughing and making a lot of noise. But if the message is not received very well, they feel isolated hence crying so loudly to seek the attention they need or to make one understand their message.
With this cycle of growth continuing, two and one half and three years old, begin to seek the interest of having knowledge on how to be independent when wanting to go to the toilet and how to develop the communication skills of which by the age of 18 months old, a toddler should have developed at least 20 words (Evan-Moor Publishing, n.d). It is at this stage they graduate to preschoolers (Malley, 2010). Certain characteristics start to develop, for instance physically, socially, emotionally and intellectual development. A point to note is, toddlers grow in different ways with different stages with different surroundings.
Physical wise, some changes of the body occurs, during the first year, children are considered to grow at a low pace compared to the period of the infancy. This a time they take little food at a time but if calculated well, at the end of the day, they may have taken lots of food like an adult since they eat in bits. By the time they reach one year and two months, they develop a sense of dependant and try to walk on there own without any ones support. With time, they learn to walk backwards and up on different surfaces like the floor, grass, sand and anywhere that will pose a challenge to them to enable them to learn to walk the way they see others do at the surroundings. When it comes to this stage, it is recommended that parents or caregivers should offer their toddlers an opportunity to continue moving, jumping and safety measures should be taken into consideration by placing things like pillows, cushions or even mattresses on the floor, bouncing, reaching for something, trying to kick, climbing up and down the stares with the adults help, rolling and many more should be considered (Halliburton, 2011). Through movements, muscles are developed in their little body. As this developments continues to happen, the toddler learns on how take food and drink even though it is expected not to be accurate.
By the second year, the body is considered to have grown by a length of 50 percent that is from the first year and by the end of the second year, 75 percent would have developed. This is a period of activeness in toddler because, they are able to run, climb, walk up and down stairs alone, throw balls and kick the balls at a distance. They can even separate things and return them normally. If they happen to soil on themselves, they feel the discomfort on themselves hence crying to pass a message of discomfort ability. This is the time you can also identify the growth of 20 teeth in a child.
Socially and emotionally, they become active by participating in complex things in the world. They start exchanging interaction with their parents. This creates special bonds or attachments between the parents and the toddlers. This happens through facial expressions, movements and verbal interaction. It is believed that, strong bond between parents and their toddlers lead to the sense of trust that gives directions to a toddler to explore the world. This a time they start playing by themselves with or without anybody in place as they laugh and make lots of noise. Tempers do rise at this stage even though at a short time. They become so possessive and selfish and always go against the rules shown to them by their adults since they cannot recall them. This period they seek a lot of attention from the surrounding since they feel like they own the world. Emotions such as jealous, affection, pride and shame can be noted at this stage of development. Fear grows within them and always seeking for their parents to be near them to offer comfort and passion as they sooth them.
By the second year, some few features do change a part from the above. Being close and playing with other children can also be noted and they believe they have got a right to refuse whatever that don’t please them that is, by doing the opposite of what is needed by them. Imitation becomes part and parcel of them by wanting to behave like adults. Whatever they happen to see being done before their eyes, they will try also to do the same, For example helping in the house cores and becoming more sure of themselves.
Intellectually, they develop curiosity, imitate whatever sound they hear i.e. from vehicles, animals and many more, some get acquainted to the familiar people or objects, they try to name the body parts and familiar pictures, involve the second party in their games, their attention to a given thing is minimal since their memory easily forgets and they can perform some scribbling or writing. But by the second year, they start following simple instructions and their communication skills does improve and this depends on how they have been nurtures by their parents or caregivers, for example, when a child cries for food, when handed over the food, some one needs to communicate even if the toddler does not understand anything. This will improve the communication skills of a toddler.
With the above growth and development of a toddler, few factors can affect the growth of the said toddlers. Factors such as medical conditions can impact the toddler’s growth through ways such as hearing or even affecting their brain hence slowing the Childs capability to speak earlier during his stage of development or speak accordingly.
Eating habits can also contribute to toddler’s growth. Toddlers are known at times to choose the kind of food they want to eat. This can be observed especially when you frequently try to feed the child with a certain food, they always refuse and yet they are hungry or even in the case of eating fast foods or junk foods may also impact the growth and development of a child.
Being dormant without physical exercises such as playing may contribute to poor heath conditions. It is believed that toddlers develop their mental imaginations through playing. Social interaction with the children or the parents or caregivers can also improve through playing.
Normal development and growth can be contributed through sleeping of the toddler. It should be known that the total time spent by the toddler to have a nap should be in the morning and the afternoon and sleeping without waking up at night. When a child lacks enough sleep, their energy goes down. Daytime is known to be even the biggest contributor to lack of energy that is if the child lacks enough sleep. To improve this condition, if the toddlers lack enough sleep during daytime, they should be soothed to have enough sleep at night.
To conclude, it should be known that fast growth and development among the toddlers is very fast. They try to learn on how to involve their lives in the world through believes that they are independent. Parents and the surroundings at larger should learn on how to improve this growth and development among the toddlers. Few health ways to support your toddler to have a health life are also considered. This is through comfort especially when you discover some stress or frustrations or unhappiness in them. This case can be improved through swaddling, holding them close to you to make them feel the compassionate, rocking them, communicating to them through verbally or even songs that are meant to sooth.
Food, sleeping should be considered through feeding the toddlers when they want, never leave them hungry, sooth them by singing lullaby songs or pat them by making the toddlers to have a comfortable and enough sleep. Waking them up should be so gentle and calm.
Most toddlers tend to cry especially when they wake up due to some fear, dream, being hungry or discomfort through maybe soiling themselves. Parents or caregivers are recommended to be available and on the watch during the period the toddlers are awake and alert. Talk quietly and gaze directly to their eyes especially when you discover they are in for it. Never frustrate them especially when they turn to collect themselves (Wittmer & Petersen, 2006). Be honesty with your own feelings and give them time to express their emotions and through this, toddlers are able to learn by social means some few ways to express themselves through their own feelings. Facial expression and language communication should be used to give a chance to a toddler to master those kinds of communication skills
When it comes to fear, infants should be shown security because it is this fear and lack of security will make toddlers to grow with the phobia of fear. An eye on them during this situation makes them safe. Restraining them fro crying.
It should be noted that when a toddler is taken to hospital, then the toddlers is observed to find out the reasons for his problems. Most research has discovered that this is due to behavioral, relational or even some development difficulties of which should be looked upon. Behavioral problems might be considered to be aggression or even overreacting. Other contributions might be development delays due to subtle psychology, the sense and locomotives while the toddler is growing. This should be looked upon.
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