• Your child may receive the booster for DTP and polio today, if they have not already been given.

Feeding Your Toddler

• Your child should be eating three meals and two snacks a day
• Eating more often promotes poor eating habits
• Meals and snacks should consist of table foods from the four food groups (approximate serving size):
  1. Breads (1/2 slice), cereals--ready-to-eat or cooked (1/4 cup), rice or pasta (1/3 cup), pancake (1/20), crackers (1-2)
  2. Vegetables or fruits (4-6 Tbsp), 3-6 ounces fruit juice--4-6 servings per day
  3. Milk (1 1/2 cup), yogurt and cheese (1 1/2 ounces)--2 servings of milk and 2 other servings
  4. Meat, poultry, fish (2-4 Tbsp), dry beans (1/2 cup), egg (1)--3 servings per day
• Offer health snacks between meals
• Your child should be drinking juices and white milk from a cup

Physical Development

Every child develops at his own rate and with his own style. This is not a strict timetable, but rather, a guideline of things to expect between now and the two-year visit.

What your toddler is learning to do:

• Walk fast, backwards, and up stairs with help
• Climb into chairs
• Kick a ball
• Throw a ball
• Feed himself with a spoon, but messy when eating
• Drink from a cup by himself
• Pull toys
• Dump objects from containers
• Draw stroke with crayon
• Hold and love favorite doll or stuffed animal
• Stack blocks or rings
• May begin to run

  Using play to help your toddler learn:

• Provide push and pull toys
• Supply toys with different textures and surfaces for your toddler to feel
• Allow to scribble and draw with crayons and paper
• Play ball
• Provide toys that fit inside each other
• Furnish stacking blocks and toys to build towers
• Provide toys that can be banged together

Language Development

What your toddler is learning to do:

• Look at pictures and name objects
• Read books in his own language
• Use four to 10 words
• Use two word phrases
• Voice wants
• Follow simple directions

  Using play to help your toddler learn:

• Read books
• Look at pictures
• "Talk" to grandma and grandpa on the phone
• Repeat newly learned words
• Praise when he follows directions
• Visit zoo and listen to animal sounds

Social Development

What you can expect from your toddler:

• Shy around strangers
• Mimic adult's behaviors
• Play beside other children or with adults
• Become more independent from parent
• Explore farther away from parent
• Test limits

  What you can do:

• Give lots of hugs and kisses
• Reassure your toddler of your love
• Allows him to help with chores
• Make a game of picking up toys
• Provide play time with other children
• Create times to explore the environment--your home, the yard or the park

Discipline

• Your toddler does not understand why he cannot do what he wants to do
• Help him follow the rules by
  1. Helping him put away his toys
  2. make "clean up" a game
• Structure the environment to eliminate objects or situations that cause problems (put breakable objects up)
• Distract from temptation by diverting your toddler's attention to another activity or objects like a toy
• Set limits, but not too many--remember your toddler is still very young
• Show your toddler what you want him to do if he is misbehaving (like where he can throw the ball instead of against the window)
• Remove your child from the situation
• Use temporary time out--one to two minutes in a playpen

Temper Tantrums

• A temper tantrum is a child's immature way of expressing anger
• Your child is eager to be independent and take control
• He wants to make his own choices, but has not learned how to solve problems
• H is unable to cope when he is disappointed or restrained
• He acts out this frustration and anger by:
  crying, screaming, and whining
  thrashing and head banging
  breath holding
  being mean by hitting, biting, and spitting
• As parents you should recognize that temper tantrums are a normal and expected part of growing up
• Breath holding is not dangerous--your child will start breathing if he holds his breath long enough
• Hunger, tiredness, and illness can contribute to temper tantrums
• When your child acts this way:
  • remain calm
  • do not get angry or upset with him
  • be loving but firm
  • be very clear about the rules and limits that are important to you
  • tell him what you want him to do
  • be consistent--respond the same way every time your child breaks the rules
  • do not hit or spank your child unless his behavior is life threatening. Do not give in or offer rewards.
  • ignore behavior as long as your toddler stays in one place, is not too disruptive, and is safe
• Make sure that all adults who care for your child (grandparents and baby-sitters) follow the same rules consistently and discipline your child the same way
• The behavior of some temper tantrums is too violent to ignore:
  • hitting or kicking parents
  • throwing things
  • continued screaming and yelling
  • having tantrums in public places
• Move your child away from the scene of the tantrum to another room when this happens--stay with him

Toilet Training

• There is no set age when toilet training should begin--do not rush your toddler
• Your child needs to be physically mature enough to control urination and bowel movements before toilet training can be successful (this probably will not happen for several more months)
• Watch for any of the following signs that your child may be ready:
  • remains dry at least to hours at a time during the day
  • bowel movements before it happens
  • follows simple verbal instructions
  • knows the words you will use for bowel movements and urination
  • walks to and from the bathroom
  • undresses and then dresses himself again
• Some children do not care for soiled diapers and want to be changed
• Your child may ask t use the toilet or potty chair