When children discover to take small hesitant steps and then walk, they are recognized as toddlers. More often than not, the expression is used in reference to one and two year-olds who are just getting used to walking. The toddler phase is significant in a child's growth. The period comes between babyhood and childhood. A toddler discovers many new ways of doing things and develops many personal behaviors.
Once children reach the age of two, they can stand on their toes. They can also hurl objects and thrust them forward. They can climb, walk, run, and move up and down the stairs by themselves. They also usually leap with both feet together. Toddlers also begin to feel uncomfortable when they soil or wet diapers. They begin being aware of toilet training, and get interested in practicing it since it inevitably means having dry diapers (Oppenheimer 2-5).
At the toddler stage, many children begin to show interest in things surrounding them. They take things and examine them. For instance, they pull them apart and attempt to reassemble them again. Toddlers usually acquire a deep interest in how things function. For instance, they are quite interested in how to twist and unscrew lids.
They are more active than at any other period in their lives. Everything that occurs in a toddler’s environment is consequential. With each phase and ability that the toddler manages to comprehend a new phase starts. The development is distinct for every toddler. Different toddlers have different timetables. During the toddler phase, most children also discover new ways of relating with other people.
One major mission of the toddler is to discover how to be self-sufficient. This is the reason why most toddlers wish to do or accomplish tasks such as tying shoelaces for themselves. They tend to have different ideas about how they should accomplish different assignments (Wiggins 1-10).Toddlers are mostly interested with their own ideas and requirements.
They also sometimes get aggravated because they do not possess the verbal communication skills necessary to articulate their needs. In many cases, toddlers have trouble in viewing themselves as different entities from their parents. Typically, from the age of two to three years, toddlers want to learn how to use the toilet. At three years, they are usually ready to attend kindergarten as preschoolers. Most toddlers already ‘toilet-trained’ have acquired verbal communication skills. They are also in the process of becoming more independent.
They take a lively interest in the environment and other individuals around them apart from their family members. Toddlers usually eat small portions of food all through the day, and can improve their feeding skills (Oppenheimer 1-10) Emotional and Social DevellopmentTemper tantrums are frequent among toddlers. They have trouble sharing with others their toys and other objects they perceive to be theirs. While toddlers can be possessive, they also prefer working independently. They do not recall any rules; thus, the need for their parents to keep repeating instructions. It is when in the period of being a toddler that children first experience emotions such as fear.
Their emotions are typically very forceful though brief. Toddlers also usually view themselves as being the most important in their society (Wiggins 200). They may incessantly inquire after their parents, if the parents leave them for a while. They grow more self-aware as time passes.
They start to convey new emotions such as affection, jealousy, shame, and pride. Toddlers can also identify objects and familiar people. Though their attention span is typically short, they tend to be very curious. They indicate what they wish by pointing, imitating sounds they hear, and pronouncing pronouns such as ‘me’. Toddlers are able to express their desires and feelings (Oppenheimer 1-6). They can also observe simple directions, and can use a couple of words in combination even if not in the correct sequence.
They make use of objects to symbolize other objects. Toddlers have trouble in making decisions concerning different issues in their immediate environment, but they still try making those choices.
