Your Two & a Half-Year Old Toddler
Diet:
·
Offer
a variety of healthy table foods diced into small pieces. Let your
child feed himself with a utensil or fingers. 1 tbsp of food per
year of age is a fair measure. He should be exclusively using a cup.
·
Avoid
giving any large pieces of food, raw carrots or celery, chips,
popcorn, nuts, seeds, whole grapes, or hot-dogs that your toddler
may choke on.
·
Offer
3 regular meals and healthy snacks. It is your child’s job to decide
how much to eat and even if to eat at all. Make feeding time happy.
Family meals are an excellent way to support language and social
development in the young toddler. Eat together as often as possible.
·
Growth in toddlers is sporadic and their appetites follow. Expect
appetite slumps and food jags (preference for the same foods at
every meal). Do not force your toddler to eat. Offer healthy
choices. Limit fatty foods, sweets and juice intake. No sticky fruit
snacks!!!
·
During an appetite slump, do not play short order cook and prepare
another meal in hopes your toddler will eat it. It is difficult,
but wait until the next meal to feed him.
·
Your
toddler should drink 16-20 oz. of 2% milk each day. Too much milk
can lead to picky eating.
·
 Multivitamins
may be used if your toddler’s diet is consistently inadequate.
·
If
you have a family history of food allergies, please consult our
office before introducing foods that contain peanuts.
Sleep:
·
A
regular bedtime routine is very important to toddlers. The average
toddler sleeps 13 hours/ day. It is normal for your toddler to
sleep more or less than the average.
·
Most toddlers take 1 nap a day. If
your toddler is resistant to the nap, it is still important
to have a quiet period of rest at a scheduled time each day.
Development: (30-36
months):
·
The
most important reason for a 2/1/2 year checkup is to assess the
development of language and social communication. Your 2 ½ year old
routinely uses short sentences of 3-4 words, and his/her speech is
50% intelligible. Give your child plenty of time to respond when you
say something to him.
·
 Listen to your child and expand on his own unique
language. Clearly repeat what he says, using correct grammar. If
necessary, clarify what he means, using correct grammar. Toddlers
love rhyming games and simple songs with rhythm and accompanying
movement.
·
Your
toddler will run, jump in place, walk up and down stairs, may pedal,
kick a ball, throw a ball overhand, may dress him/herself with help
·
He
may use spoon/fork, copy a circle, copy a vertical line, stack 8
blocks, brush teeth with help
·
She
enjoys interactive play, knows her name and age, she may count and
name a few shapes and colors, she may ask “What’s that”, and know
the correct action for a selected animal (cat meows, bird flies)
·
Pretend play with your toddler. Play hospital, zoo, store, barber
shop, restaurant, or airport with your child. Use puppets. These
activities help build creativity and help your child with life
situations. Children this age love to feed a dolly, talk on the
phone, sweep the floor, clean the windows- they love to help you
clean!
·
This
age is often the age when parents begin to consider what sort of
early education experience is best for their child. Think about
behavioral style, developmental readiness and parental goals.
Safety:
·
Remember toddlers are very curious and can get into anything! Use
locks on the toilets, cabinets, and appliances.
·
Burns, falls, choking, drowning, and poisonings are the biggest
hazards in your toddler’s environment. Install 2nd floor
window gates.
·
Guns
are dangerous! Keep guns and ammunition locked in separate places.
·
Never
leave your toddler unattended in the house, car, or yard.
·
In
case of accidental ingestion or poisoning or for free poison
prevention information, call the Illinois Poison Center at (800)
222-1222.
·
Use a
properly fitted bicycle helmet if you take your toddler on a bike
ride.
·
Use
an age/weight appropriate “Type 1 or 2” life jacket whenever around
any water.
·
 Bubble baths are not recommended- they can be
associated with urinary tract infections.
Other Things to
Keep in Mind:
·
Schedule dental visits every 6 months.
·
Use a
small soft toothbrush and a small dab of fluoridated toothpaste to
clean your toddler’s teeth everyday especially at night.
·
Limit
the amount of TV and monitor the types of shows your child watches.
The tv programming should be interactive..think PBS kids or read
books to your toddler everyday instead!
·
Use
PABA-free sunscreen with SPF >15.
·
Encourage family exercise such as walking, swimming, or bicycling
with a helmet.
Potty Training:
·
Signs
of readiness to use the potty or toilet usually are seen by 27-30
months of age. Mastery of the potty may not come until 3 years of
age.
·
To
successfully potty train your toddler needs to… be aware of
impending urination or defecation, have periods of prolonged
dryness, be able to pull loose fitting clothing on and off, be able
to climb on and off the potty chair, imitate simple tasks, and
communicate the need to use the potty chair.
·
Have
a potty-chair available to your toddler, but do not push your
toddler into training. Praise your toddler for any effort.
·
If
your child is constipated or has regular hard stools with
straining…this may interfere with toilet training. Call the office!
Behavior/Discipline:
·
Encourage your toddler’s independence; offer 2 acceptable choices
when possible while retaining your parental authority and rules.
·
At
this age, a new sense of order emerges that may be repetitive and
perfectionistic. For example, lining up toys or placing crayons in a
specific color order or always wearing the same pair of shoes. Most
likely, a passing phase!
·
Be
consistent. Praise good behavior. Avoid too many rules. Say “No”
then physically move your child from a dangerous situation. Do not
yell or spank. Be a good role model.
·
Play
with peers continues to be more often parallel rather than
collaborative. Play activities that have an easily recognized theme
and sequence of actions (e.g. the tea party, and tag) are great for
getting 2 ½ year olds to play together.
·
All children have tantrums at some time. It is their way of
expressing anger and frustration. Tantrums increase when your
toddler is tired, sick, or hungry.
Ignore attention-seeking tantrums – do not try to reason with your
toddler.
·
Use time-outs for disruptive tantrums or unacceptable
behavior. A minute per year of age is a good guideline.
·
A good reference for toddler discipline is “One, Two, Three,
Magic”.
·
Many toddlers at this age have fears about unexplained
changes in their physical environment and unexpected events.
Bathtime or bedtime are common fears. Support the routine.
Tests/Immunizations
for Today:
·
In most cases, none are needed. There may be catch up
vaccinations.
·
You
will be given a developmental questionnaire to complete at home and
mail back to our office.
At the 3 year
check-up:
·
Your
toddler will have a physical examination. Your questions and
concerns will be answered.
·
You
will be given a developmental questionnaire to complete at home and
mail back to our office.
Children’s
Acetaminophen Dose:
 Every
4-6 hours & no more than 4 doses/day
24-35 lb. = 1 tsp.
Children’s
Ibuprofen Dose:
Every 6-8 hours
24-35 lb. = 1 tsp.
Additional
Instructions:
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