Category: Parenting toddlers (0-3 years)

During this stage, children aged 18-36 months go through significant growth phases in physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development. They show significant progress in their motor skills (Veldman et al., 2019). They can walk, run, climb, kick, and jump easily. Children develop better hand-eye coordination and also show their first attempts to balance and avoid obstacles. Toddlers show their growing independence by opening doors, climbing stairs, and handling various objects.

Their increased autonomy exposes them to a higher risk of injury (Myhre et al., 2012). Therefore, parents and caregivers should ensure that the home is childproof by securing cabinets, covering electrical outlets, using safety gates, and installing window guards. Small objects, poisoning, and choking hazards should be removed from their reach. Although safety measures should always be in place, caregivers should also into account the child’s need for autonomy by providing age-appropriate stimulation and experience. (Hughes et al., 2018).

During this time, toddlers form strong attachments to their primary caregivers and may become distressed when separated from them (Poopal, 2021). They begin to exhibit feelings of frustration, guilt, and remorse (Drummond et al., 2017). They may have trouble sharing toys without protest and demand adult attention. Their fears become more real to them, and they begin to understand the difference between fantasy and reality (Woolley & Ghossainy, 2017).