Your Two-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. 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.
• Your job as parent is to choose the best foods for your child. Offer 3 regular meals &healthy snacks. Make feeding time happy. It is your child’s job to decide how much to eat and even if to eat at all.
• 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.
• During these appetite slumps, do not play short order cook and prepare another meal in hopes your toddler will eat it. Wait until the next scheduled meal to feed him again.
• Your toddler should drink16-20 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 are a vegetarian or vegan, it may be necessary to consult a nutritionist to ensure your toddler gets enough protein.
• If you have a family history of food allergies, please consult our office before introducing foods that contain peanuts, nuts, or fish.
  
  

Sleep:

• A regular bedtime routine is very important to toddlers. The average toddler sleeps 13 hours per day. It is normal for your toddler to sleep more or less than the average.
• Most toddlers take 1 nap per 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: (24-30 months):

• Runs, jumps in place, walks up & down stairs, throws a ball overhand, dresses with help, brushes teeth with help
• Puts 2 or more words together, speech becoming more intelligible, may count to 3 or know a few ABC’s, follows two-step commands, may recognize colors and shapes
• Uses spoon/fork, uses cup, opens a door, draws a vertical line, stacks blocks
• More social with other children, plays pretend games, talks on phone
  
  

Safety:

• Burns, falls, choking, drowning and poisonings are the biggest hazards in your toddler’s environment.
• Guns are dangerous! Keep gun and ammunition locked in separate places.
• Lock cabinets and keep cleaners, medications, plastic bags, and small objects away from your toddler.
• 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.
  
  

Other Things to Keep in Mind:

• It is now time for the first dental visit.
• Use a small soft toothbrush and a dab of fluoridated toothpaste to clean your toddler’s teeth everyday.
• Limit the amount of TV and monitor the types of shows your child watches.
• Read books to your toddler everyday.
• Use PABA-free sunscreen with SPF >15.
  
  

Potty Training:

• Signs of readiness to use the potty or toilet usually are seen by 30 months of age. Mastery of the potty may not come until 3 years of age.
• Your toddler needs to be aware of impending urination or defecation, have periods of prolonged dryness, able to pull loose fitting clothing on and off, 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.
  
  

Behavior/Discipline:

• Encourage your toddler’s independence; offer acceptable choices when possible while retaining your parental authority and rules.
• 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.
• 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.
  
  

Tests/Immunizations for Today:

• In most cases, vaccinations will not be necessary today.
• You will be given a developmental questionnaire to complete at home and mail back to our office.
  
  

At the 2 ½ year check-up:

• Your toddler will have a physical examination.
• Your questions and concerns will be answered.