Begins to Pretend in Play (18-24 Months)
Play begins when infants start exploring objects and, at around 18 months, evolve to using them for their intended purpose. Children may begin talking on a toy phone, pushing a pretend vacuum, or comforting a baby doll. References: Haight, W., & Miller, P. (1993). Pretending at home: Early development in a sociocultural context. Albany, NY: […]
Testing 1, 2, 3
Is your toddler getting into everything? Has your “little angel” started coloring on your walls? Does she throw her cereal off her high chair even though you tell her not to? Chances are, you’re the proud parent of a 2-year-old! The “terrible twos.” People call this time the “terrible twos.” Why? Because 2-year-olds do many […]
May Show an Interest in Being Potty Trained (16-25 Months)
Many toddlers are ready for toilet training after their second birthday, but early training is possible with some children. If a child is capable of following directions, shows an interest in imitating family members in the bathroom, experiences bowel movements on a regular schedule, and has a diaper that is not always wet, they may […]
Recognizes Own Facial Features (15-24 Months)
Sometime between 15 and 24 months, children take a large step in self-awareness. In an experiment known as the “rouge test,” mothers wiped a bit of rouge on the noses of their children and placed them in front of a mirror. Children younger than 15 months looked at their reflection and saw a red spot […]
Baby See, Baby Do (15-24 Months)
Babies can remember a lot For decades, scientists didn’t think babies could remember much. Although parents and caregivers suspected that more was happening inside their young children’s heads, many “experts” thought babies experienced the world as simply a blur of sights, sounds, smells, and textures. They were wrong. Babies and toddlers can remember a lot. […]
Dad’s Club: Make Reading Fun
“Daddy! Read me a story!” he says while you tuck him between the sheets. And before you know it, he’s wrapped in your arms while you turn the pages together, giggling at the funny duck in his favorite book. Attachments: Getting in Tune with Baby I Know This Word References: Bus, A. G., van IJzendoorn, […]
Testing 1,2,3: How Children Learn through Repetitive Behavior
When children begin their second year, it can be a very difficult time for parents and caregivers. Children at this age are growing more independent, and they sometimes do things adults don’t want them to do. If it seems like children are intentionally disobeying or disregarding their caregivers’ wishes, it’s because they are! But they […]
Copycats
The world’s best copycats. Babies are born learning from you. Even at birth, infants can watch what you do and copy it. When you smile, babies try to smile too, if you stick your tongue out at a newborn, the baby will stick out his tongue too. By watching what you do and copying it, […]
Recognizes the Difference between Self and Other People (12-20 Months)
Between 12 and 15 months, children increase their awareness of themselves as different from others. Although self-awareness develops more fully later (between 15 and 24 months), sometime during these months, children begin to make basic distinctions between themselves and others. For example, when children of this age look in a mirror, they see their own […]
Cognitive and Learning: Overview (12-24 Months)
In their second year, children become more creative in exploring the world. They continue to drop, throw, and bang objects they can grab, but they also might begin sorting objects by shape or color. Toddlers also begin fantasy play with toys, so stuffed animals might begin “talking.”