It's amazing to think that your baby is now two years old! You seem to have only lately welcomed them. At this age, your child may be able to say a few words, walk, jump, and draw on paper or walls. You may also notice them becoming more independent and saying 'No' more often. When my first child turned 2, I understood why people call it the “terrible twos.” Parenthood teaches you to practice deep breathing and develop patience through meditation
Many parents see toddler tantrums before age 2 or even at 3 years old. There isn’t a fixed time for these tantrums or meltdowns. However, there are certain developmental milestones you can expect when your baby is 2 years old. They will start pointing at things, using simple gestures to communicate, saying one or two words, throwing and kicking a ball, trying to eat on their own, and helping with dressing and undressing. Significant changes happen between their first and second birthday. Here are some important milestones to watch for.
Developing Emotions
Do you know why toddlers throw tantrums? By the age of one, your baby has begun to experience distinct emotions but does not yet understand them. They might get angry about this misunderstanding. Be patient with them and help them understand how they feel at this point. You can help them develop their social and emotional skills by reading books that are right for their age, like "Eric's Moods". They will learn new words to describe how they feel and understand how important it is to have friends and other social interactions.
Building Vocabulary
Your child will begin saying one or two words by the age of two and may even repeat words they hear you say. This reveals notable improvement in their linguistic competency. Age-appropriate flashcards allow you to introduce new words to assist them in expanding their vocabulary. According to professionals, flashcards for education are quite helpful for speech development and vocabulary. These flashcards can help your child to learn about ordinary objects, insects, and more. Asking your child to identify objects or animals they have seen on the flashcards will help you play interactive games as well. These exercises will boost their speaking and aid with memory of recently acquired vocabulary.
Pointing at Things
Remember that at this age, newborns often express themselves with pointing and gestures even if your child is just uttering few words and not interacting much. They could try to remember names by pointing to objects. Every time they show you anything, encourage and compliment them. This will inspire them more and enable them to grow more independent. Flashcards containing daily objects, animals, and other items can also help children learn. See your child pointing to objects around the house and utilizing recently acquired new words.
Cognitive Development
At 2 years old, your little one can follow simple instructions and even two-step commands. This shows important progress in their cognitive skills. You can help by giving simple instructions like “kick the ball” or “pass the spoon.” Ask your baby to bring you something from another room. These small tasks will build their confidence and help them become more independent. By this age, your baby can also create four-block towers. Provide kids age-appropriate, environmentally friendly, safe construction blocks as well. Steer clear of plastic toys and poor quality blocks. Playing with building blocks fosters social development, counting, turn-taking, and problem-solving abilities.
Between the ages of 1 and 2, you can slowly introduce puzzles with two pieces, four pieces, and then six pieces. Giving these puzzles step by step will help your baby develop problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and cognitive abilities.
Motor Skills
Between the ages of 1 and 2, your baby will start learning to walk, jump, and climb stairs. They can also throw and kick a ball; sprinting still may prove challenging for them. Introducing item transfer exercises will help your child develop their fine motor abilities. Ask children, for instance, to pick up a felt bows using age-appropriate tweezers and transfer it to a cotton basket. Their hand-eye coordination and pincer grasp will improve as a result.
There are also many toys like serpentine stacks, peg puzzles, threadable beads, and sort and stack that can help with fine motor skills. To help with both fine and gross motor skills, you can give them a pulley duck to pull around. This will not only improve their motor skills but also support their social development.
When choosing toys, it’s important to invest in age-appropriate, eco-friendly, and safe options. Don’t just pick any stacking toys or puzzles. Check the materials the brand uses, as toxic materials can be harmful. At Tinyvers, our child development experts have designed toys for babies from 0 to 3 years old, using eco-friendly and safe materials crafted by traditional artisans.