Wow, it is hard to believe that in a couple of weeks I will have a 2 year old! The biggest changes you will have by the time your child is 2 are: a big bed or toddler bed instead of a crib, a booster seat instead of a high chair, 2% milk instead of whole milk, and for my kids – chewable Flintstones vitamins instead of a liquid vitamin. Some kids may be potty trained by the age of 2. My daughter was by 19 months, but my son has only started to tell me when he is going, just went, or has to go. He still has a long way to go and I am in no hurry since he is a boy. The comprehension and talking just amazes me as well. Jackson can count to 15 now on his own, identifies the colors: green, orange, blue, and red correctly, and can tell me the shape of a triangle and diamond. He talks clearly about 85-90% of the time and uses 4-5 word sentences. He is getting to be such a big boy!
Eating
Here are some changes that take place in the eating arena around the time your child turns 2:
- Your child will mostly eat exactly what the family eats and at the same time as when the family eats.
- Your child will not only drink milk from a sippy cup, but also try milk from a big cup once in a while.
- Your child will be using a booster seat instead of a high chair.
- Your child should be able to feed herself with a spoon and a fork. Make sure to give them the opportunity to practice. The sooner and more often they use the fork and spoon on their own, the better they will be at a younger age, making it nice for you!
Napping
- One afternoon nap a day usually lasting anywhere from 2-4 hours (I think 2 hours is the most common).
Other Stuff
- I am consistent with encouraging Jack to use his words and not to whine when he wants something. I want him to tell me what he wants instead of pointing, etc.
- We continue to include Jack in prayer time before meals and modeling folding our hands, bowing our heads, and closing our eyes when we pray. He continues to fold his hands when we say the word pray and model it for him. He started to close his eyes and bow his head for short periods of time as well. He will also repeat what we say if we tell him to pray.
*Note the times are approximate.
Between 8-8:30 until 9:00am wake up, cuddle time with the family in bed, and get dressed.
9:00-9:30am breakfast (milk in sippy cups, fruit – usually a banana, and cereal in a bowl with milk and a spoon – I also like to make pancakes, muffins, and eggs.)
9:30-11:00am wake time (sibling play time, free play time, & structured play time)
11:00-11:30am wake time (Independent play time for my 2yr. old/Jack. Learning time for my 3 yr. old/Ella. I am currently working on writing letters with her.)
11:30-12:00pm wake time (Learning time for my 2yr. old/Jack. I use books to help him learn his colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. Independent play time for my 3 yr. old/Ella. Usually she has her indep. time in her room and sometimes in the living room.)
12:00-12:45pm lunch (I feed Jack and Ella the same thing or what we are eating. I make sure to give the kids a healthy balanced meal.)
12:45-1:15pm wake time (The kids watch Barney while I clean up the kitchen and dishes from lunch.)
1:15-1:50pm wake time (free play time & sibling play time)
1:50-2:00pm wake time (read books with mommy)
2:00-5:00/5:30pm nap (Both my kids nap anywhere from 2-3.5 hrs.)
5:30-6:00pm wake time (The kids watch Barney while I make dinner and I sometimes give them a small healthy snack when they wake up.)
6:00-6:45pm dinner (They eat a healthy balanced meal/what we are eating.)
6:45-8:00pm wake time (play time with dad, family time, baths)
8:00pm bed time (brush teeth, PJ’s on, books, songs, and prayers)
Could you give specific ideas for teaching parents a polite way for toddlers to interrupt that honors the parent and acknowledges the child.
Here is a sample of something I would say to my child if he/she interrupts me while I am talking to another person: “Excuse me for a minute Jenny (the adult). Ella (my daughter), mommy is talking to Jenny right now. I really want to hear what you want to tell me, but you need to wait until mommy is finished talking to Jenny. It is not polite to interrupt.” After I am done, I will let Ella know how proud of her I am for being so patient and then listen to what she has to tell me. Beforehand I will have a talk with my children about interrupting and let them know it is not polite and that they need to practice patience. I will also let them know that the only time it is ok to interrupt me is if they or someone else is badly hurt/bleeding and needs my assistance right away. For example, if a friend of theirs is hurting them and won’t stop or they are riding their bike and fall and bust their knee open, etc. Teach them that if they have to interrupt to say excuse me before they start talking to you. The biggest thing you can do is train your child before it happens. Don’t wait until they interrupt to have that teaching moment for the first time (It is ok to nicely remind them of what is expected, like in the example above). That way your child knows the expectations so the child doesn’t feel like you are ignoring them or being unfair. Your main goal is to teach your child respect/patience and to model that.