Your child's toddler years include both the infamous "terrible twos" and what the American Academy of Pediatrics calls the "magic" years. The terrible twos represent the developmental changes that have given your toddler more independence and curiosity about his world. The "magic" years, meanwhile, herald a time of self-awareness and highly imaginative perceptions and fantasy about this new world and what it represents. Most toddlers reach physical, mental and emotional developmental milestones in their own time, though there a few hallmarks of standard progress.
Cognitive and Language
The cognitive and language skills of toddlers advance rapidly before their preschool years. Toddlers generally obtain a basic grasp of grammar and can speak in sentences using five to six words. The concept of same vs. different, single-task problem-solving, telling stories and fantasy play are common milestones. Toddlers also generally have a basic sense of time and can recall parts of a story and count a few numbers in a linear way using this skill.
Physical Progress
Your toddler's physical skills generally grow with the pace of his mobility. Hopping on one foot, kicking and throwing a ball, catching a bounced ball and quick forward and backward movements are common accomplishments of 3- to 4-year-olds. One- to 2-year-old toddlers typically stand on tiptoe, carry toys while walking and climb onto and down from furniture unassisted. Additional milestones are holding a cup in one hand, putting on shoes without tying and pedaling a tricycle.
Social and Emotional
Toddlers learn social skills by observing and mimicking the social situations they see. Imitating behaviors and repeating the words of others are common. As your toddler's sense of self-awareness grows, he will begin seeing himself as separate from others and recognizing the individual ways he looks, thinks and feels. Older toddlers often try negotiating solutions to conflicts, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports, and begin to express less separation anxiety and more defiant behaviors as their self-awareness grows.
Motor Skills
Creative play will help build and fine-tune your toddler's hand and finger motor skills. Drawing, folding paper into shapes, stacking blocks and self-feeding are all tasks that toddlers frequently enjoy. Younger toddlers enjoy scribbling with crayons on paper and emptying out containers that hold enticing objects. Older toddlers can typically cut out shapes with scissors and can draw a person with two to four body parts, a circle or square and copy some capital letters.
