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Toddler is a common term for a young child who is learning to walk.¹ The toddling stage is generally considered to be the stage of development between infancy and childhood. Toddling usually begins between age 12 and 24 months.² During the toddler stage, the child learns a great deal about social roles and develops motor skills. To toddle is to walk unsteadily; the term cruising is sometimes used for toddlers who cannot toddle but must hold onto something while walking.

This age is sometimes referred to as 'the terrible twos',³⁴ because of the temper tantrums for which they are famous. This stage can begin as early as nine months old depending on the child and environment. The toddler is discovering that they are a separate being from their parent and are testing their boundaries in learning the way the world around them works. This time between the ages of two and five when they are reaching for independence repeats itself during adolescence.

On average, a child begins walking around 12 months of age, although this can greatly vary depending on the child's motivation, culture, and physical strength. Children who constantly have adults bring them what they desire all the time are less likely to have the desire to walk. The varying values and lifestyles of different cultures also commonly have an effect on the age that walking is achieved.

Talking is the next milestone of which parents are typically aware. A toddler's first word most often occurs around 12 months, but again this is only an average. The child will then continue to steadily add to his or her vocabulary until around the age of 18 months when language increases rapidly. He or she may learn as many as 7-9 new words a day. Around this time, toddlers generally know about 50 words. At 21 months is when toddlers begin to incorporate two word phrases into their vocabulary, such as "I go", "mama give", and "baby play". At this age, children are becoming very proficient at conveying their wants and needs to their parents in a verbal fashion.

There are several other important milestones that are achieved in this time period that parents tend to not emphasize as much as walking and talking. Gaining the ablility to point at whatever it is the child wants you to see shows huge psychological gains in a toddler. This generally happens before a child's first birthday.

Self-awareness is another milestone that helps parents understand how a toddler is reacting. Around 18 months of age, a child will begin to recognize himself or herself as a separate physical being with his/her own thoughts and actions. A parent can test if this milestone has been reached by noticing if the toddler recognizes that their reflection in a mirror is in fact themselves. One way to test this is to put lipstick on the child's forehead and show them their own reflection. Upon seeing the out-of-the-ordinary mark, if the child reaches to her own forehead, she has achieved this important milestone. Along with self recognition comes feelings of embarassment and pride that the child had not previously experienced.

Most children are toilet trained while they are toddlers. In most Western countries, toilet training starts as early as 17 months for some, while others are not ready to begin toilet training until they are three. Two important indicators of toilet training readiness are whether a child understands the concept of using the toilet and whether they have any control over excreting waste. This can be a frustrating time for parents. The parents who are willing to put forward the most time and encouragement are the ones that succeed the quickest. Some toddlers can learn this task in a week, while some take two or three months.

The toddler developmental timeline shows what an average toddler can do at what age. Times vary greatly from child to child. It is common for some toddlers to master certain skills (such as walking) well before other skills (like talking). Even close siblings can vary greatly in the time taken to achieve each key milestone.

Overview table

Age	Physical	Mental	Emotional
12–15 months	walk alone well. Drink from a cup (poorly). Turn pages in a book (a few at a time). Play ball by rolling or tossing it.	Uses one or two syllable words such as "ball" or "cookie" Can follow a simple command with an associated gesture, such as: bringing a cup to you when you point at it and say "Please bring me the cup".	Use gestures or words to convey objects, such as: Pointing at a book, raising arms to be picked up, or saying "cup". Mimic actions such as covering eyes while playing Peekaboo.
15–18 months	Hold a crayon well enough to scribble. Lift cup up to mouth for drinking. Climb onto furniture. Uses 10–20 words. May be able to follow a command without a gesture. Stack two blocks.	Address others with greetings. Mimic parental activities such as cleaning up or talking on a telephone.
18–24 months	Feed self with a spoon. Run. Climb into a small chair. Walk up steps. Helps with dressing: Likes to dress and undress self.	Speaks 20–50 words; understands many more Stack six blocks Understands non-physical relationships such as turning on lights or pushing buttons. Sorting toys. Searching for hidden objects. Problem solving through experimentation.	Wants to be independent at times. Will throw a tantrum or possibly say no. Mimics social behavior such as hugging a teddy bear or feeding a doll. Self recognition. Self reference. Displays attachment. Separation anxiety. Can play turn-taking games. Beginning be ready for toilet learning
24–36 months	Advanced mobility and climbing skills. Increased dexterity with small objects, puzzles. Able to dress oneself.	Speaking in sentences. Ability to be independent to primary care giver. Easily learns new words, places and people's names. Anticipates routines. Toilet Learning continues Plays with toys in imaginative ways. Attempts to sing in-time with songs.	Knows boys from girls. Shows preferences, such as clothes and entertainment. Knows how to play different games.

See also

• Baby walker
• Early childhood education
• Sign language in infants and toddlers

References

Preceded by Infancy

Stages of human development Toddlerhood

Succeeded by Early childhood

v • d • e Human development: biological - psychological - Overview table Pre- and perinatal Prenatal development • Pre- and perinatal psychology Infancy Infant and child development (stages) • Infancy Childhood Child development (stages) Toddlerhood • Preadolescence Adolescence Youth development • Puberty Adulthood Early adulthood • Middle adulthood • Late adulthood • Ageing & Senescence Theorists-theories John Bowlby-attachment • Urie Bronfenbrenner-ecological systems • Erik Erikson-psychosocial • Sigmund Freud-psychosexual • Lawrence Kohlberg-moral • Jean Piaget-cognitive • Lev Vygotsky-cultural-historical

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• This page was last modified on 7 January 2009, at 16:25.

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