There are a few of times in a child’s life when they go through a period of rapid development that would seem almost impossible. The first is, of course, after they are born and they go from a tiny infant into a baby capable of sitting up and making sounds and connecting. During this time, children learn to walk and talk; they learn to use the restroom and dress themselves; and they start to learn how to interact with others and determine their own place in the world. But maybe the most fascinating stage of development is that of the toddler years – when a baby goes from one to three – because of the changes that occur in a child.

Before a child turns two years old, a lot seems to happen in terms of their development and it happens very rapidly. By 14 months, a child can walk well on its own, crawl upstairs, drink from a cup and use a spoon and can build things composed of two blocks as opposed to one. By 15 months, they can use 10-15 words, say “no” and understand its context and can indicate when their diaper is wet. At 16 months old they are able to walk both backwards and sideways and they can run although they fall easily; they can use phrases that involve both nouns and adjectives and nouns together; they can climb stairs and furniture and they begin throwing tantrums.

Then they hit 2 and the real fun beings in terms of what to expect the toddler years – this is when the talking and interacting with people really starts. Children typically weigh 24 pounds, are around 30 inches tall and they have 12 of their 20 total temporary teeth (by 2 ½ they will have acquired the full set). Their gross motor skills become well-defined; they can walk up stairs on their feet, build towers with multiple blocks, control a spoon and become toilet trained during the day. Their vocabulary also sees a dramatic improvement – they know about 350 words and can follow simple commands and dress themselves. They also begin to realize that they are separate people although other children are still just “objects” to them which is why the “everything is mine” phase starts.

The period after this is filled with many more jumps in development. They are able to participate in parallel play – playing alongside other children well although still not with them. They are able to anticipate a day’s routine and the need to nap slowly starts to decrease. They being playing with their toys in imaginative ways and completing puzzles as well. This time is filled with great change is one of the most formative times in a child’s life so it’s important to understand what to expect the toddler years.