25-36 Months

Doing

The two year old child will now have a greater degree of independence and will enjoy doing things himself. In fact, he may be very closely watching those around him for signs of how to behave and how to do new things. This is particularly true if there are older siblings in the house - the two year old will be very anxious to catch up and get involved with games and fun with the older children.

Encourage them to include the toddler in their games if possible - it is a great way for them all to learn about sharing, tolerance and for the toddler to learn new skills and actions.

During this year, your toddler will show signs of being ready to leave one of his signs of infancy behind - graduating from nappies to the potty or toilet is a big developmental step. The age at which a toddler is ready will vary from child to child so look out for signs of readiness to help you gauge the right time to start. See our article on toilet training for more information.

Learning

Between the ages of two and three, your child will love to learn rhymes and songs with you and will be delighted to recite them for you, with lots of praise as a reward of course! He will love the rhyme, rhythm and emotions that words conjure up, especially in poems. Actions will also add to the drama of it all for the child. Why not recite some old favourites together -'Hickory Dickory Dock', 'Incy Wincy Spider' and 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' will become family favourites, no matter what age.

Saying

By the time your toddler has reached the age of two his language skills will develop in leaps and bounds, with new words coming almost every day. Nursery rhymes, songs and stories will all help this language development and he will surely have his favourite ones for you to recite again and again and again!

He may also have become quite good at saying the word 'NO' - something that can be a shock for you the first time a toddler decides that he would like to do things his own way and at his own pace. Remember he is developing his own personality and independence so try to be patient - difficult to do when your plans are met with a resounding 'no'! This stage will pass but can be very difficult for all concerned. Do allow him to do things for himself (feed himself / choose what toy to play with / choose what coat to wear) and this may diffuse a full blown disagreement. You need to remain in charge but be flexible - does it really matter if he wants to wear his wellington boots instead of his runners? Some issues will remain non-negotiable for issues of health and safety but choose your other battles carefully!