Your 2-year-old is full of energy and bursting at the seams to become more independent. In fact, get ready to hear plenty of the refrain “me do” before the year is over. Unfortunately, as your little one struggles with their newfound sense of independence, you’ll also deal with a lot of temper tantrums — that’s just a normal part of toddler development. There’s a lot to experience as your little one checks off milestones on their way to becoming a preschooler.
“A lot of people call it the ‘terrible 2s,’ but I like to call it the ‘wonderful 2s’ because there’s just so much going on,” says Dr. Ajoke Ajayi-Akintade, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital. Your toddler is becoming more coordinated and controlled physically. They are also learning to be more adept in social situations and craves interaction with other children their age. They start the year off parallel playing next to their peers and by age 3, they’ll start interacting, cooperating and even sharing with others (sometimes!).
Your toddler is also learning new words each and every day. “There’s a huge language explosion during this time frame in both comprehension and expression,” says Amelia Miller, an infant developmental specialist at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. At age 2, they know and use fifty words.
By age 3, their vocabulary will grow to include hundreds of words. Meanwhile, toddlers are understanding more and more of the things you say to her. According to Dr. Ajayi-Akintade, 2-year-olds should be able follow instructions if you give them a two-step command. Toddlers are also starting to understand more concepts, such as colors, numbers and size — all ideas they’ll need to know as a budding preschooler.
Your 2-year-old is developing all the skills they will need as a preschooler and big kid, but they still needs input from mom and dad. “There’s this back and forth struggle between wanting to be independent and still needing to be reliant on others,” says Miller. Little ones this age are also still working on regulating their emotions, which may lead to both temper tantrums and defiant behavior. Be sure to set clear and consistent limits and follow through with consequences to help them navigate the rocky waters of their newfound independence.
Here are some amazing milestones to watch out for in children between the ages of 24 months to 3 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Physical milestones
- Goes up and down stairs. They can usually alternate feet going up and down by the time they’re 3.
- Throws a ball overhand.
- Takes control walking and begins running easily.
- Climbs furniture without help and may be able to peddle a tricycle by age 3.
- Holds a pencil or crayon and draws circles and straight lines.
- Manipulates small objects and toys.
Cognitive milestones
- Understands shapes and colors.
- Begins imaginary play.
- Completes sentences in favorite books and start turning pages one at a time.
- Starts counting by age 3.
- Learns to turn door handles.
Language milestones
- Uses 50 words and will be using hundreds of words by the time they are 3.
- Shifts from two- to four-word sentences to two- to three-sentence conversations.
- Follows multi-step instructions.
- Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand at least half of the time.
Social and emotional milestones
- Shows interest in interacting and showing affection with others.
- Imitates others.
- Begins to show signs of empathy, say, if a friend gets hurt.
- Shows increased understanding of their sense of self.
- Demonstrates defiant behavior and temper tantrums.
- Develops independent skills, such as self-feeding and dressing skills and, perhaps, potty training.
Keep in mind that while this is the norm for toddler development, all children will reach these milestones at their own pace. Always speak with your pediatrician if you have any questions about your child’s growth and development.
