Walking and climbing ◦ Not only will your toddler be walking alone, but he will probably be trying to crawl or climb up the stairs. ◦ He may even

Child 1 – 3

Toddler Milestones: 12-18 Months

Walking and climbing◦ Not only will your toddler be walking alone, but he

will probably be trying to crawl or climb up the stairs.

◦ He may even begin walking down the stairs by placing both feet on the same step, or he might just move from step to step while sitting on his bottom.

Pushing toys and squatting◦ He will have great fun pushing and pulling toys

while walking will be able to squat down to pickup something.

Physical Development: 12-18 Months

Kicking a ball

◦ He may begin trying to kick or throw a ball and open and close cupboards or lids.

◦ Eating with his fingers and he may also begin using a spoon

Drinking from a cup with a lid◦ Though you may still be nursing, your toddler will also

enjoy drinking from a cup with a lid.

◦ His fine motor skills have improved to the point where he will proudly turn the pages in a book while you read to him, and will scribble using a large crayon.

To help develop his hand skills, introduce some food quality play dough that he can roll, squeeze, and pat.

Your toddler is still fairly self-centered (which is different from being selfish), meaning his ability to understand the feelings and emotions of others is still developing.

Still only seeing personal needs He will prefer to play by himself. He has yet to grasp the concept of sharing so he may fight with other

children and show jealousy if your focus is on another child or sibling.

Might be soothed with an object that represents security◦ Even though he will want to do things on his own, he will become easily

frustrated and may even have a security blanket or special toy that he will snuggle when feeling discouraged or sad.

Social and Emotional Development: 12-18 Months

Mimicking roles

Your toddler will love to copy you because he looks up to you and wants to do what you do. So, he may pretend to cook, play on the computer, or drive a car. This is a great time to mimic appropriate behavior and responses because it will help him learn how to act in social situations later in life.

Resisting limitations◦ He will want to explore and try new things, so he will also resist

limitations and may "disobey" you.

◦ Keep in mind that he doesn't yet fully understand the purpose of boundaries.

◦ Your child is not "being bad", but is simply trying to figure out how to "be himself".



Removing lids, drawing lines and perhaps cuttingHer fine motor skills are continuing to improve and she will be able to remove lids from containers, string large beads, and copy straight lines, crosses, or circles using a crayon or marker.

She may even show some interest in cutting with child-sized scissors, but will not be able to follow lines. Just let her snip away, as it will help improve her accuracy and skill.

UndressingShe might like to undress herself, especially removing her shoes or socks, but may not always be able to re-dress.

Open doorsAnd, she will now be able to open doors, so this would be a good time for some child safety door knob covers.


Using wheeled toysSometime before your toddler's second birthday, she will be using her feet to scoot along on a wheeled toy, kicking a ball, walking backward and sideways, squatting without losing her balance, and she may even be jumping up and down.

Playing catchShe will play ball with herself by throwing the toy and then running to get it, but she will also enjoy playing 'catch' with you.

Sitting down into chairsYou may also notice that she backs up slowly and aims her bottom when sitting down into a chair.

Walking on tip toesDuring this stage of development, she might often walk around on her tip toes


.

Perhaps wanting to start putting on clothes aloneHe may start to dress himself, and you can encourage this by providing simple clothing such as pull-on t-shirts, elastic waist pants, and slip-on shoes. Lots of buttons and snaps and belts look stylish but they can become a great source of frustration.

Prefers to play alone or with an adultHe will still have trouble sharing. He will usually prefer to play alone or with a non-threatening adult than with a similarly aged child.

Toddler Social and Emotional Development: 18-24 Months

Showing signs of empathyYour child may not yet be aware of the effect his actions have on others, but he is beginning to gain an understanding that the people around him may have feelings.

If another child is crying, he may show concern. Or if you seem sad, he may pat your back or crawl on your lap.

Perhaps new fears ariseThis may also be a time when he develops new fears and will be cautious around people he doesn't know.

Routine will be very important and he will not like any changes in schedule. He may depend even more on his security blanket or cuddly toy to help him through these challenging times.

Toddler Social and Emotional Development: 18-24 Months


Scribbling with a crayonShe will love to scribble with a crayon, although she may hold it with her fist rather in a pincher position.

Duplicating simple artAt this age, your toddler will like to duplicate your artwork, and will copy horizontal and vertical lines as well as crosses and circles.


Perhaps interested in potty trainingShe will be able to unzip zippers, unsnap snaps, and may begin showing an interest in being potty trained.

Toilet training is a skill to be developed, and your little one must be ready to tackle this challenge.

If her body has not matured to the point where she has the muscle control and a cognitive understanding for this task, you will be asking something of her that she simply is unable to deliver.

Still parallel playingWhile he will enjoy playing near other children, he will probably still prefer parallel play rather than cooperative play.

Distinguishing girls from boysHe will begin to recognize the difference between boys and girls and may even be able to associate "girl" things from "boy" things. Of course, these distinctions will be based on his socialization.


Clear likes and dislikesHe will have very clear likes and dislikes, and will make his feelings known

More comfortable around unfamiliar peopleHe will still be shy around strangers, but he may be relaxed around unfamiliar people if he believes that you are comfortable with this interaction.


Action gamesYour toddler's coordination will have improved to the point where she can participate in action games such as "Hokey Pokey" or "Simon Says".

She will enjoy running, twirling, skipping, and even rolling. She will be able ride a tricycle quite adeptly, and throw or kick a ball with fairly good accuracy

Better at drawingHer fine motor abilities have continued to improve and she will now be able to use a pencil or crayon with enough control to copy more complex lines.


Using connecting toysShe may also be able to play with connecting toys such as "Lego" blocks or trains, and will enjoy play-acting using finger puppets.

Turning book pagesShe will be able to turn the pages of a book one at a time, and can even separate pages that have turned together.

Cooperative play with other kidsIn this phase of toddler development, your child will now move into cooperative play and will enjoy interacting with other children, although her ability to share and take turns may still be developing.

Stronger imaginationShe will use her imagination even more extensively, but may have difficulty separating the real from the unreal. ◦ She may even have an imaginary friend.


Less hesitant with new peopleShe will be fearful of unfamiliar events, but will be less hesitant around new people.

Talking about feelings◦ For example, she will be able to tell you if

someone is sad or angry, and may even recall times when she felt this same way.

Offering help

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Walking and climbing ◦ Not only will your toddler be walking alone, but he will probably be trying to crawl or climb up the stairs. ◦ He may even