What Your Toddler Is Learning

Kids transition from babies to toddlers during the second year of life, as tentative first steps give way to confident walking. As your toddler starts exploring, be sure tochildproof your hometo prevent household accidents.

Language.Kids this age also make major strides in understanding language and figuring outhow to communicate. At 12 months, most say their first word and start to use hand gestures and point to things. Gradually, their vocabulary will grow from one or two words to 50 words or more.

Your child will learn about language through interaction with you and other caregivers. During year two, a toddler's vocabulary increases slowly over the first 6 months and then expands quickly during the second 6 months, when many start to use simple two-word sentences. By the second birthday, you'll probably lose count of the number of words your toddler can say!

Understanding of language also improves most toddlers understand much more than they can express.

Playing.Hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity will also improve. Toddlers gain better control over fingers and hands and can explore toys and surroundings more than before. Look for toys that encourage this, as mastering age-appropriate toys and games gives toddlers a sense of satisfaction and encourages them to move on to more challenging tasks.

How kids play also changes. As an infant, your child may have "played" with toys by shaking, banging, or throwing them. Your toddler now is aware of the function of objects, so is more likely to stack blocks, listen or talk into a toy phone, or push a toy car. In addition, the concept of pretend play starts. Your little one may pretend to drink from an empty cup, use a banana as a phone, or imagine a block is a car.

Emotions at Play

Play Dates.Many parents introduce play dates now. Toddlers enjoy having other kids around, but don't expect them to "play" cooperatively with each other or to be thrilled about sharing toys. Have plenty of toys for everyone and be prepared to step in when they don't want to share. Older siblings can be role models when it comes to teaching, sharing, and taking turns.

Emotions.Tantrumsare more common during the toddler years, so expect your child to get frustrated from time to time. If you see a tantrum coming on, try to create a distraction with a book or interesting toy. Avoid letting your child get too tired or hungry, particularly while trying to master new tasks, as this can set the stage for tantrums.

While learning to walk during the second year of life, kids start becoming increasingly independent. But expect your toddler to go from wanting freedom to clinging to you for comfort and reassurance, and back again. Allow the freedom to explore but be there when you're needed.

If it hasn't come up yet, your child may developseparation anxiety, crying and clinging to you when you try to leave and resisting attention from others.

The start of separation anxiety and how long it lasts varies from child to child. It often starts around 9 months of age, but can be later. It improves as kids master the language and social skills to cope with strange situations and start to learn that the separation is not permanent.

Encouraging Your Toddler to Learn

Once toddlers learn to walk, there's no turning back. Yours will want to keep moving to build on this newfound skill. Provide lots of chances to be active and to learn and explore in safe surroundings.

Games that your child might enjoy include peekaboo, pat-a-cake, and chasing games. Toddlers love to imitate adults and are fascinated with housework. Provide age-appropriate toys that will encourage this, such as a toy vacuum to use while you're cleaning or pots, pans, and spoons to play with while you're cooking.

Other toys that toddlers enjoy include:

brightly colored balls

blocks, stacking and nesting toys

fat crayons or markers

age-appropriate animal or people figures and dolls

toy cars and trains

shape sorters, peg boards

simple puzzles

push, pull, and riding toys

Readingcontinues to be important. Your toddler can follow along with a story and point to objects in the pictures as you name them. Encourage your little one to name things he or she recognizes.

Chat about the books you read together and the things you did that day. Ask questions and encourage your toddler to reply by waiting for a response, then expand on those replies.

Remember that some toddlers develop slower or faster than others, and this variation is normal. Talk with your doctor if you have any concerns.

Reviewed by:Mary L. Gavin, MDDate reviewed: January 2015

When was the last time you crawled around your home on your hands and knees? As strange as it sounds, give it a go. Kids explore their everyday environments, so it's crucial to check things out from their perspective to make sure your home is safe.

And though we often think of babies and toddlers when we hear the words "babyproofing" or "childproofing," unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in kids 14 years old and under, with more than a third of these injuries happening at home.

Household injuries are one of the top reasons kids under age 3 visit the ER, and nearly 70% of the children who die from unintentional injuries at home are 4 years old and under. Young kids have the highest risk of being injured at home because that's where they spend most of their time.

Supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, in the home and out, but even the most watchful parents can't keep kids completely out of harm's way every second of the day.

Here are some simple ways to help prevent injuries in your own home.

Accidents That Can Happen at Home

The common causes of home-injury deaths are fire and burns, suffocation, drowning, choking, falls, poisoning, and firearms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most home accidents happen where there's:

water:in the bathroom, kitchen, swimming pools, or hot tubs

heat or flames:in the kitchen or at a barbecue grill

toxic substances:under the kitchen sink, in the medicine cabinet, in the garage or garden shed, or even in a purse or other place where medications are stored

potential for a fall:on stairs, slippery floors, from high windows, or from tipping furniture

You can take precautions to make these places safer, but the most important thing to remember is to watch young kids at all times. Even if your home is childproofed, it only takes an instant for babies and toddlers to fall, run over to a hot stove, or put the wrong thing in their mouths. Your watchfulness is your child's best defense.

However, accidents will still happen, so it's important to be prepared. If you're expecting a baby or have kids, it's wise to:

1. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the age-appropriate Heimlich maneuver.

2. Keep the following near the phone (for yourself and caregivers):

poison-control number: 1-800-222-1222

doctor's number

parents' work and cell phone numbers

neighbor's or nearby relative's number (if you need someone to watch other kids in case of an emergency)

3. Make a first-aid kit and keep emergency instructions inside.

4. Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

Check out these Household Safety articles for more information: Preventing Injuries From Falling, Climbing, and Grabbing Preventing Burns, Shocks, and Fires Preventing Strangulation and Entrapment Preventing Suffocation Preventing Choking Preventing Poisoning Preventing Drowning Preventing Cuts Preventing Injuries in the Crib Preventing Injuries From FirearmsReviewed by:Mary L. Gavin, MDLanguage development really takes off during this time, especially as your little one approaches the second birthday.

Kids this age are better able to comprehend what is said to them and express what they want through words and gestures. They take joy in their ability to understand directions and won't hesitate to give directions of their own.

How Toddlers Communicate

Most kids say their first words around the time of their first birthday. A toddler who is preoccupied with learning to walk may push talking to the back burner; it's not unusual and is nothing to be alarmed about.

Kids this age might have learned fragments of dozens of words that may not be recognizable. They may echo what they hear or mix a few words with jargon (babbling with sentence-like intonations).When they get around to talking, though, they'll probably progress quickly and soon be able to point at something familiar and say its name, and recognize names of familiar people, objects, and body parts.

By 2 years old, most toddlers will say 50 words or more, use phrases, and be able to put together two- to three-word sentences.

No matter when they say their first words, it's a sure bet they are already understanding much of what is said to them before that. Your child should be able to respond to simple commands ("Roll the ball to Mommy") and should be fully aware of the names of familiar objects and family members

How to Encourage Language Development

Your little one is listening to everything you say and storing it away at an incredible rate. Instead of using "baby" words, use the correct names for people, places, and things. Speak slowly and clearly, and keep it simple.

Your 1-year-old might still be communicating with gestures such as pointing at pictures or at something he or she wants. Gestures will get more elaborate over this year as toddlers use them to imitate actions, express themselves, and play.

Gestures are an important part of language development. Make the connection between gestures and language by using a running commentary such as, "Do you want a drink?" (when your child points to the refrigerator), then wait for a response. Then say, "What do you want? Milk? OK, let's get some milk." Such behavior encourages kids to respond and participate in conversations.

Your child will probably enjoy gesture games, like pat-a-cake and so-big, and identifying things, such as body parts, pictures, or objects, and familiar people: "Where's your ear?", "Show me the ball" and "Where is Mommy?"

Your child's vocabulary will grow quickly, but pronunciation isn't likely to keep pace. By 2 years of age, most kids are understandable only about half the time. But emphasize the correct pronunciations in your responses.

Should I Be Concerned?

Most children meet these language milestones during this period:

saying several words by 15-18 months of age

pointing to familiar people, objects, and some body parts by 18 months

saying 50 or more words by 2 years of age

putting two words together to form a sentence by age 2

following two-step commands by age 2

Don't hesitate to report any concerns you have to your doctor, especially if you feel your child is not talking or you have concerns about hearing.

Some parents worry that a toddler who is not speaking may haveautism. Children with autism and related conditions may have delayed speech or other problems with communication, but poor social interactions and limited or restricted interests or patterns of behavior are also hallmarks of the disorder.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child's development, talk with your doctor.

Reviewed by:Mary L. Gavin, MDDate reviewed: August 2014