Taking Care of Toddlers

1. Taking Care of Toddlers Growth and Development

2. Toddlers • Toddlers are children between the ages of one and three • The name toddlers come from the unsteady walk that this age of children has • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZiNvBS7Ruo

3. Physical Growth • Toddlers will continue to grow taller and heavier • Bones and muscles become stronger • The toddler’s spine will become more erect • Toddlers will begin to lose some of the “baby fat” that they had as infants • They will also lose the sway back that causes the cute belly at age 3

4. Physical Changes • The biggest change in a toddler’s life is the ability to move around quickly • Most toddlers will walk around one year old, although some may not start until almost 16 months old • In the beginning, a toddler’s walk is unsteady and uneven • Toddlers will have to practice all major gross motor skills in order to perfect them

5. Gross Motor Milestones • By the age of one the biggest milestone will be walking • At two, toddlers should be able to balance on one foot and jump with both feet off of the ground (at the same time) • At age three, toddlers should be able to skip • Gross motor skills involve large muscle groups and often include skills such as running, jumping, and balance • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8GJGHnmZ1Y

6. Gross Motor Skills • Around age one, toddlers will begin to climb as much as possible • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9yvmw97210 • It is important to let toddlers practice this skill in an appropriate and safe place (playgrounds, rock walls, etc) • Children are always able to get down from places where they have climbed unaccompanied, although it may take longer • At age two, most toddlers can operate wheeled toys such as tricycles and sitting cars

7. Hand Coordination • Toddlers will learn to throw a ball, although the technique requires practice and aim will be inaccurate • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydCOCPgNe_8 • Catching, a skill that requires more hand eye coordination, will be more challenging

8. Fine Motor Skills • Fine motor skills are those that use smaller muscle groups such as those in the hands • Toddlers will eat with a spoon around 15- 22 months • Around the same time, toddlers will begin to practice sipping out of a cup • Toddlers can begin to open doorknobs and jars/lids that are not tightly closed • Some toddlers may begin to stack blocks and lace beads on string

9. Eating Habits • Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters • Some toddler become carb loaders and prefer only one or two items consistently (such as mac and cheese and bread) • There are many different ways to encourage toddlers to eat a variety of foods

10. Encouraging Healthy Eating • Offer a healthy meal, and if it is refused, set it aside until the toddler is hungry enough to comply • Add secret nutrients by pureeing veggies or fruit and adding it to favorite items (pureed spinach in pasta sauce) • Make healthy food look appealing for children

11. Encouraging Healthy Eating • In your groups, brainstorm some ways to make healthy food look appealing, and use the markers and paper to illustrate your ideas

12. Intellectual Growth • Toddlers are experiencing a language explosion- adding new vocabulary at a rapid rate • Because of this language explosion, toddlers will often shorten difficult words • Ex. Nana instead of Grandma • Toddlers can understand many more words than they can say • To test a toddler’s knowledge of colors, they may have to point to the correct answer instead of saying “yellow” • After their second birthday, toddlers are better able to speak in complete sentences

13. Toddler Language http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdt-yBN76uw

14. Intellectual Growth • Toddlers begin to problem solve to achieve goals • Ex. If a toddler sees a toy they want on the counter top, they may move a chair to stand on in order to get the toy • Toddlers will begin to compare objects • Toddlers will begin to learn to classify objects orally • Ex. Toddlers can sort by color or shape

15. Intellectual Growth • Toddlers, although they are learning quickly, do not yet grasp the concept of volume • If a toddler looks at a full skinny glass and a half full very fat glass, which ever one is higher they will assume has more in it

16. Example

17. Social and Emotional Growth • Toddlers care most about their parents and caregivers • Toddlers begin to use parallel play at around 1-2 and imaginative and peer play closer to 3 • Toddlers are beginning to build their own self concept • They no longer think that they are the same person as their parent

18. Erik Erikson • Erik Erikson calls the toddler phase 2-3, and labels it the age of AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT • It is important for Toddlers to recognize that they can accomplish things on their own • Dressing themselves, feeding themselves • They need to know that when they say no, as long as it is reasonable, they will be respected • Toddlers will either gain confidence in their abilities or learn to doubt themselves and have a sense of shame about their inadequacies

19. Tantrums • Toddlers have tantrums, in part, because they are attempting to have this autonomy • When trying to convince a toddler to comply with you, you will be more successful if you give them choices • Ex. Do you want to run to the car, or walk, or skip? • Ex. Would you like to brush your teeth first or get dressed? • Ex. Would you like to wear this shirt or this one? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqKv6g9GBtE

20. Tantrums • Toddlers do not have complete control over their emotions • You should not expect a toddler to calm down in a full blown tantrum just because you ask them to or give them a consequence • As long as the toddler is safe, allow them to throw their fit and then come back later to discuss • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6NzGj1eWc0

21. Scenario • You are at the grocery store with a 2 year old you are babysitting. The toddler asks for candy, and when you say no he starts to cry loudly and ask you over and over. When you again say no, he falls on the floor and kicks and screams loudly. • What do you do?