After their first birthday, your baby’s growth continues to change rapidly for the next year of their life. In the world of toddlers, things might not always make sense to us adults — that’s why the expert teachers and caregivers at Yellow Brick Road have the information you need to better understand what’s going on with your child during this time.
With infant and toddler daycare, as well as preschool programs at each of our four locations, Yellow Brick Road is the child care center you can rely on during these critical early years. Set up a time to come visit us in Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, or Plymouth!
Emotional Changes
Tantrums abound! These episodes aren’t so much about anger as they are about a lack of self-regulation (understanding and managing emotions) and an inability to express themselves. Between 12-24 months, your child forms strong emotional attachments, and will struggle at times with these feelings.
One day you might drop your child off at toddler daycare without any issues, the next they might be screaming like no other. We promise you this is all normal! They’re making sense of the permanence and security that comes from loving relationships, and what that means when they’re apart from the ones they love. Your toddler might also start expressing some independence during this time, but the majority of that will take place later on.
Language Acquisition
In our last blog, we referenced how your child can understand lots of words well before they’re able to speak. Between their first and second birthday, your young one will drastically grow in their vocabulary. Most children at 18 months have a vocabulary of at least 10 words; by the age of two this will grow to at least 50.
You can continue helping your child grow in their language skills by talking and conversing with them, reading stories aloud (do this every night!), and having them point to objects whose name you say. Enrolling them in toddler daycare is another great idea, because it provides more opportunities for practice in a safe and nurturing environment!
Crawling, Walking, and Running
There’s not a specific age when your child should begin walking, though the average is considered between 12 and 13 months. As Kidspot explains, “It’s estimated that it takes babies about 1000 hours of practice to go from pulling themselves up to walking more than a few steps alone.”
By two years old, your child should be able to run around without bumping into things, and they should also be able to stop with relative ease. Practice, a lot of falling down, and a lot of encouragement go a long way.
This is an age where your young one’s personality starts to shine. With the toddler daycare programs at Yellow Brick Road, your baby will be able to continue thriving and growing in the best way possible. You can’t always physically be there for your child, and that’s OK! Let our child care center help you out. Contact Yellow Brick Road today to set up a tour.