As your toddler approaches two, they’ll have come a long way in the last year. By now they’ll be walking, talking and causing havoc wherever they go.
Express yourself
Your little one is learning to express how they feel and will also start to understand when others show emotions. Be prepared for heart-warming ‘I love you’s and the cute look of concern across their face when they hear another child cry. But they might also show you more negative emotions like jealousy and anger. Until they learn to control these emotions better, you’ll have to take the highs and lows of toddlerhood and try to remember all those sloppy kisses when your toddler gets cross.
Dream on
If your little one is suddenly waking in the night, they could be having a nightmare. At this age they don’t yet know the difference between what’s real and what isn’t, so dreams of monsters are common. Try not to let them watch too much TV or over stimulate them with noisy toys before bed as this can cause sleep disturbances. Offer plenty of reassurance if they do wake and check they’re not over tired when they go to bed – your little one might be growing up quickly but will still need an early afternoon nap to get them through the day and night.
Play and learn
Toys can help your little one develop a range of skills. Building bricks and simple puzzles are good for fine tuning motor skills, while musical toys (if you can bare them) brings out their creative side. Active games like kicking and throwing a ball works on their coordination – even if they don’t always hit the target. For indoor play, a sheet of paper and some chunky crayons are perfect for creating their latest masterpiece. Just make sure they’re washable in case your budding Picasso decides the walls are a better canvas than the paper…
Two-way communication
By now your toddler should be able to use two or three words in a sentence, name simple pictures in a book and understand a range of basic instructions. Books are a great way to encourage communication – they’ll love being able to turn the pages for themselves and you can ask them questions about what they see. Singing songs together can also help to increase your little one’s vocabulary – they’ll get a great sense of satisfaction from filling in the missing words of a favorite song. Although you might not understand everything your little one says, keep chatting to them and let them respond – practice really does make perfect.
How are you feeling?
Having an active toddler around the house is fun but it can be exhausting, especially if your little one has started waking in the night again. Remember that you don’t need to entertain them 24/7 – your toddler will also still enjoy more sedate play and will need the down time just as much as you. Encourage play dates with other mums – having another adult about means you might just get to have a cup of tea and a proper conversation while the children play… if only for a few minutes.
Shop The Range
