Milestones for Toddlers
Toddler in California
Ready or Not
Day by day your child will grow and so will their skills. When my niece moved in with me last year I had no idea what to expect. (I haven’t even changed a diaper before her.) The day she arrived she could barely walk, talk, and didn’t really react to much other than “food” or “dad.” She moved to California when she was 15 months old and the journey to make sure she was happy, safe, and of course on the way to become a badass baby started.
I remember asking my friends/clients these questions:
What does she eat?
Does she shower ever day?
Does she take naps?
Does she wear diapers?
What if she doesn’t like me?
Do I need to brush her teeth?
Luckily, my clients are amazing and gave me pointers and of course I started reading books, articles, blogs, pretty much whatever I could use to help me learn to care for a baby. However, no matter how many people you ask or how many books you read, you will never know how to take care of a tiny human until you do.
Language milestones [2]
Points to object or picture when it’s named for him
Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts
Says several single words (by fifteen to eighteen months)
Uses simple phrases (by eighteen to twenty-four months)
Uses two- to four-word sentences
Follows simple instructions
Repeats words overheard in conversation
Movement milestones [2]
Walks alone
Pulls toys behind her while walking
Carries large toy or several toys while walking
Begins to run
Stands on tiptoe
Kicks a ball
Climbs onto and down from furniture unassisted
Walks up and down stairs holding on to support
Areas of Development for Children
Cognitive skills: Thinking, problem solving, learning
Fine motor skills: using smaller muscles (hands)
Speech skills: Understanding words, talks to themselves when playing with toys, child can follow directions better.
Gross motor skills: using larger muscles (legs, back)
Self-help skills: Being independent
17 - 24 months old
I work from home (Personal Trainer), so she was able to see me work and be around other people throughout the day. The change between 16 months and 17 months was so quick, it was like overnight someone came to her and said “Okay, time to grow up a little.” From Day 1, she loved seeing my clients do the exercises and soon began to mimic EVERYTHING we did. I put the tiny human on a pretty strict schedule so she could be familiar with a routine.
Actions I noticed at 18 months
mimic your actions
have a better understanding of words (usually “no” lol.)
start to dance to music and enjoy movement
remembering body parts
matching items/colors
want to dress themselves
start to understand good/bad
start to do things without help, but still wants reassurance from the adult
jumping off of everything
start to use a spoon and want to eat or their own
start to use small words
Salem started with: “No, bye, more, food, squat, red, MinMin (that’s what she calls me), water, love, yes, Izzy (our dogs name), etc.
DAILY SCHEDULE
Wake up - go straight to the potty.
Breakfast - 1 scrambled egg, 1 slice of Ezekiel bread with homemade strawberry jam.
Sing/dance - Usually “One Little Finger” “BaBa Black sheep” or “ABC’s”
Go to work with me - Training clients
After morning clients, sit on the potty, snack and then we would go for a walk.
Nap time
Lunch - Chicken, Rice, Veggies, sit on potty
Games or Park
Dinner - Chicken, Rice, Veggies, sit on potty
Shower
Read/Sing
Sit on potty then Bed
I’m not sure if she developed fast or if the routine/being with me 24/7 helped, but she was picking up everything so quickly.
TIPS
Stick to a routine.
Repeating activities that he/she likes.
Set boundaries.
Let them be independent, with supervision, of course.
Showing videos of other kids playing, eating, etc.
Let them watch and learn.
READY
I remember hearing my friends say, “I don’t want to mess this up” and I never understood what they meant. The first night Salem (my niece) come to live with I stayed up all night, watching her sleep and caught myself saying to myself.. “Please do not mess this up.” My niece is one of my biggest blessings, her spirit and love is unconditional just like my sweet fur-baby Izabella. Those girls gave me a reason to live, to breathe, and to be a better person all around. As the days went by and she started developing into a tiny human that could run, talk, flush the toilet, give me kisses, draw, etc. It was so amazing to get to experience her growth.
Hi! I’m Malynda!
I like to learn new things and share it with others, hopefully you can learn something new here on my blog and share it with others in your life!
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