As your child strikes the age of 2 years old, they are officially a toddler – meaning they have entered a phase in their lives when they officially turn into a tantrum-throwing child; too adventurous but not quite independent yet. Most parents consider this period to be the most tricky.

But we’re here to let you know that that’s not the case. Sure, your toddler has undergone a drastic amount of changes, but that doesn’t mean it’s all in vain. In fact, toddlerhood should be celebrated for all the right developmental reasons:

 

Motor Skills Improved

As your child starts to grow physically, they begin to hone certain skills they couldn’t manage on their own before. Both their bigger and smaller muscles become more sophisticated, and allows them to improve their fine and gross motor skills. Some accomplishments you’d like to look out for are simple, but remarkable.

• Toddlers will begin walking and jumping with both feet, and without help
• They will enjoy climbing things like furniture or playground slides unassisted
• They will also begin holding things like pencils in fingers instead of their fist (although the pose still may be gawky, it’s a great first step!)
• Children will become capable enough to walk up and down the stairs by holding a support, like the railings

 

Cognitive Milestones Achieved

As your child’s body begins to grow, so does their mind. More specifically, they become more aware of the problems their encountering, and try solving them in their own way. They also start exploring their creative sides, and show it to the world in a number of different ways.

• Toddlers will start taking pretend play to the next level – they will imagine their cardboard box to be a spaceship, or will pretend to be their favourite cartoon characters and play the role
• They will start singing along to nursery rhymes, and enjoy themselves
• They will learn how to differentiate between shapes and colours more prominently
• They will become better at finding hidden objects, even if they’re hidden underneath two or three layers.

Emotional Checkpoints Made

We know – how come uncalled-for toddler tantrums could matter so much?

The thing is that in this age, children learn to slowly become independent, without having proper words to express themselves. This language barrier tends to make things worse, especially when children become more and more experimental with their behaviour.

• Children begin to enjoy the company of other toddlers, making them more social
• Children start mimicking others – especially adults – to experience what adulthood feels like in the eyes of a toddler
• They will purposefully disobey some things you say, just to see what happens as a result (a consequence of their experimental nature)
• They will start to notice how they can do some tasks unassisted, and so will become more aware of themselves as separate from others.

 

The milestones vary from one toddler to the next, but the gist remains the same: the two-year-mark is a point of change – and nurseries in Jumeirah Park are well aware of that.

In fact, Oakfield Early Learning Centre models its curriculum to cater to children going through various milestones of their early life. Their qualified practitioners know how to deal with children despite any tantrums; they make sure every child feels valid and comforted, no matter how troublesome they may seem to appear.

If your child happens to be late to the party, there’s no need to panic; every child is different, hence every child grows differently to. As a parent, be sure to celebrate their accomplishments.

 

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Reference: understood.org