• Choking hazards are a still a danger for toddlers.  Keep an eye out for small beads, coins, larger pieces of food etc.
• Toddlers should remain rear facing in the car seat as long as possible, preferably until age 2.  
• Make sure that all outlets have protective plugs. 
• Secure all cleaning supplies and medications in upper cabinets with cabinet locks.
• Toddlers love to climb.  Be aware that they can and do, push chairs up to counters and can easily get onto your countertops.  Make sure that dressers, bookshelves, and other furniture is secured to the wall with furniture straps.
• Keep all glass/crystal picture frames in a secure place where children cannot reach them.  Remember than frames can fall/break and children can easily get injured.
• Keep children safe around bodies of water.
• Never leave your child unattended while he/she is in the bath.
• Keep stairs gated for the safety of your toddler.

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If I want it,
IT'S MINE!

If I give it to you and change my mind later,
... IT'S MINE!

If I can take it away from you,
IT'S MINE!

If it's mine it will never belong to anybody else,
No matter what.
If we are building something together,
All the pieces are mine!

If it looks just like mine,
IT'S MINE!

If it breaks or needs putting away,
IT'S YOURS!

by Dr. Burton L. White

Many toddlers will have trouble with pronunciation of some words and may have difficulties putting sentences together.   This is normal.  You can expect to play a guessing game trying to figure out what your toddler  is saying, and at times you may have absolutely no clue what she's getting at.

For instance, many 2-year-olds will say "I'm taking a baf" for "I'm taking a bath" or "The wion wawed" for "The lion roared".    Some children will mispronunce words up until age 6.  Some kids have trouble saying certain sounds or words.  This can be frustrating because others may have trouble understanding what they're trying to say.  One of the things that you are looking for is whether your toddler’s/preschooler's speech is improving over time — by age 3 most of what your child says should be pretty understandable.   

So when should you consider a referral for speech therapy?

• If your child is not attempting to communicate verbally by 18 mo or is talking very little by age 2, a hearing problem should be ruled out.  
• Talking using mostly vowels, omitting whole consonants, saying "a" for "cat"
• Still saying single words only, and not phrases or sentences by age 3
• Not pointing to objects in books. If you say, "Show me the kitty cat," he flips the page or repeats the phrase but doesn't actually point to the animal
• Answering a question by repeating part of your question. If you say, "Do you want milk?" he responds by saying, "...you want milk?" instead of nodding his head or saying yes
• Not following simple directions and understanding prepositions such as under, on, or over. For instance, he doesn't turn around when you say, "Your ball is right behind you"
• Struggling using pronouns, saying, "Him not here" at age 3
• Not changing or developing his language much from month to month

Local school districts provide speech therapy for children age 3 and above who qualify.  The school district will have to evaluate your child to see if he/she will qualify for services.  If you have questions about speech development, talk with your healthcare provider.

 

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Feeding time with toddlers can be a real challenge. There are developmental reasons why kids between 1 & 3 yrs of age seem to just pick at their food. The first year of life is a period of rapid growth for babies. Toddlers gain weight more slowly, so they need less food for growth. The fact that these little ones are always on the go also affects their eating patterns. They don't sit still for anything, even food. Snacking their way through the day is more compatible with these busy explorers' lifestyle than sitting down to a full-fledged feast. Toddlers also have periods of time when they may want 1-2 foods for every meal and snack. Since erratic eating habits are as normal as toddler mood swings, expect your child to eat well one day and eat practically nothing the next. Toddlers from one to three years need between 1,000 and 1,300 calories a day, yet they may not eat this amount every day. Aim for a nutritionally-balanced week, not a balanced day. Make it a goal to offer healthy meals and snacks each day that are bite sized and easy to grab and go.