North Star Pediatrics

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Eighteen Months to Two Years

Please remember that every child grows and develops at his own rate and that no two children are exactly alike at a given age.

Motor Development

Toddler is beginning to run -- at first it will be done stiffly with a lot of falling down. But in the next few months toddler will be very steady and sure of his running abilities.
Toddler can walk up and down stairs holding onto someone’s hand or onto the wall or railing.
He can climb into an adult chair and seat himself by turning around.
Toddler is able to jump in place lifting both feet off the ground. He is also able to stand on either foot alone when holding on.
Toddler enjoys pushing, pulling, throwing or carrying objects while walking.
He enjoys moving to music.
When attempting to kick a large ball, the 18 month old walks into the ball, as he is not yet able to make a kicking motion. Soon, he will be able to kick a ball on the ground without stepping on it.

Fine Motor Development

Toddler is now able to turn knobs (radio or TV or stereo).
At 18 months, he can probably build a tower of 2-3 blocks. Soon, he will increase his building power, stacking blocks 5-6 high.
Toddler is able to hold a pencil or crayon well enough to scribble spontaneously and may begin to show hand preference by using one hand more than the other.
Toddler is able to throw a small rubber ball.
When self-feeding, toddler no longer rotates his spoon to bring it to his mouth and thus becomes a neater eater.

Language Development

At 18 months, toddler knows about 10 words. He uses them over and over repetitiously, with meaning. His favorite words may be “all gone, thank you, bye-bye. ” From these examples, you may also note his ability to combine 2 words.
Toddler’s ability to imitate words is more precise between 18 and 24 months -- he becomes quite a mimic and you will, no doubt, observe his vocabulary growing quite rapidly. By 24 months, your child will be able to name almost everything he has daily contact with at home or on walks. He will also start speaking in short sentences.
Toddler will constantly ask, “what’s that? ” discovering that everything has a name. A favorite game for him may be attaching a name to a thing (called labeling). If toddler lacks the words he needs to communicate, he may pull a person to show him what he wants or needs.
Toddler enjoys singing and imitates simple sounds on request. Animal sounds and “Old McDonald” are quite popular at this age.
Toddler says his own name and refers to himself by name. He will also say his name when shown a photo of himself.
Toddler is able to point to body parts on request and may even name some.
Toddler continues to enjoy reading books, but still needs supervision, as tearing pages is a fun game at this time. He is able to point to familiar pictures in books, likes to hear nursery rhymes, and enjoys tactile books (like “Pat the Bunny”).

Social Development

Toddler continues to demand personal attention and is a delightful, entertaining show off.
He shows everybody when he gets something new and he loves to admire himself in the mirror.
At 18 months, toddler begins to do what he is asked to do and does this obediently for the next few months. However, later he will respond less quickly to request and may even do the opposite of what is asked!
Toddler explores the effects he has on other people and learns that different people react to him and his behavior in different ways.
Toddler is unable to tolerate frustration and you may notice that he’ll begin to hit back if spanked. This is why we recommend “time outs” rather than corporal punishment. Temper tantrums may be triggered by frustration, hunger or fatigue.
Toddler is beginning the “do it myself” stage and is sometimes torn between wanting help from an adult, or doing things alone (zippers, buttons, dressing, undressing, etc.). In spite of his growing independence, toddler still likes to cuddle.
Toddler has NO concept of sharing and may become more possessive of his toys. He may even hide them from siblings or from his little playmates. He continues “parallel” play. “Mine” will shortly become a popular word in toddler’s vocabulary.
Toddler has a short attention span and recovers readily from hurts.
Toddler enjoys a change in environment and enjoys riding in the car and going for walks and outings.
Toddler is becoming less afraid of strangers; however, other fears may develop at this time (water, large dogs, barking dogs of any size, thunderstorms, etc.).
Toddler is able to remember a familiar object without even seeing or holding it in his hands and thus can obtain it from another room on command.
Toddler accepts new foods readily and has a great appetite. He may become “picky” about his foods the closer he gets to 2 years old.

Age Appropriate Toys

Loves to play in water and sand (needs supervision with these)
Enjoys scribbling with crayons --again, with supervision
Rocking horse (small enough that toddler can get on and off himself)
Swings, slides and climbing steps
Beginner jigsaw puzzles, shapes sorting box
Peg board, take apart toys
Pop-it beads, large beads to string
Toddler enjoys dressing up like mommy or daddy (shoes, make-up, etc.)

Safety (in addition to suggestions on previous growth and development pages)

Remember that your child should always be in a car seat for every ride.
Gates are a must at stairways, as toddler is climbing up and down stairs. The only safe place for poisons is in a high locked cabinet because toddler is able to climb on chairs, boxes, tables, counters and sinks to reach higher places.
Any guns in the household should be locked away from easy access. They should be unloaded and ammunition should be stored and locked up in a separate location.
Toddlers are never drown proof and should never be left unattended around standing water, pools, lakes or bathtubs. Pools should have safety covers and/or safety alarms.
Be careful with hot liquids in cups, bowls, or on the table, stove or counter tops.
Toddler can turn knobs. Make him aware that stove knobs are a definite “No No”.

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