Toddler Care: Your 25 Month Old Toddler

If you didn’t do this last month, then measure your toddler’s height and double it. This will give you an idea of what their adult height is likely to be. There will still not be weight gain or obvious growth at this stage but steadily over time your toddler will grow and mature. Their genes, environment, and nutrition will all impact their size. You’ll find a wide variation of sizes already in your toddler’s peer group, each with their own individual body proportions.

It may be time for a haircut this month which can be a stressful experience for some toddlers. On some primitive level they might be unable to deal with the process of seeing their hair cut and on the floor. This often ends up being a hectic situation for everyone concerned. All the explanations in the world may not help, which means cutting their hair while they are sleeping is about the only option. Distractions when they are awake can be partially effective, especially when a treat is involved.

Your toddler will be using more words which describe things. They will be able to string a few words together in a sentence and are capable of waiting their turn to speak. They’ll also understand what it means to be asked a question and then reply. Your toddler will be learning how to use household items like spoons and forks, buttons, and doors handles. They will continue to be very ego-centric and use the words “I” in their sentences. They won’t be too fond of sharing, even if they have no interest in a toy until another child goes after it.

Your toddler will get in touch with their creative side this month as they further develop their fine motor skills. This means becoming better at holding a pencil, drawing a circle, and copying a simple picture. They may move their mouth or stick out their tongue in concentration; it takes a lot of effort to keep focused at this age. Don’t expect your toddler to be organized or keep their play area clean. You may like their blocks and toys neatly put away, but they are incapable of keeping their belongings quite so tidy.

Books, magazines, and even newspapers and junk mail are popular with this age group. Your toddler will recognize familiar objects and point them out to you. Brand logos that you have in the house will be spotted by their eagle eyes.

Make sure your toddler has a ball to kick and a bat to hit it with. This will help with their hand-eye coordination, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly they become more skilled. Expect them to use both hands equally for now; they are still too young to have developed a dominant hand. This is also the age of cubby holes and hiding places to crawl into and play make believe. Playing underneath a large sheet thrown over a table can entertain a toddler or two for hours, especially if there is some food involved.

Try to keep your toddler’s screen time to a minimum and keep them moving and active. Monitor what they watch on television if they are watching any at all.

Daytime naps will still be an essential part of your 25-month-old toddler’s day. You may find they’re getting a little cranky after lunch and resistant to rest time. You probably could use a little break as well. Try to ignore their protests and stand firm. Pushing the boundaries with parents at this age is common but it will be better for all if you stand strong. At this age, it is still too early for your toddler to drop their daytime nap. Even if they only sleep for an hour or so it can be extremely restorative. If you need to lie down yourself, do so. Otherwise use the time to do something for yourself that will help you to feel energized for the rest of the day.

There will be lots of running around this month, which means you will be, too. Check and make sure your gates and fences are in good working order; your toddler is still too small to understand risks to their own safety. Encourage them to play outside every day and to do activities outside which are not possible in the house. They will learn how to discriminate between indoor and outdoor play but will try and merge the two wherever they can. Through you your toddler will learn not to hit or kick a ball inside and not to carry buckets of water and sand into the house. In the process, expect a little trial and error as they learn where the boundaries of the house begin and end.

Nothing will encourage your toddler to eat like hunger. It is the single most important factor that will influence the amount of food they eat and how frequently they want to eat. This means spacing the intervals between their main meals and snacks and making sure they don’t fill up on milk. Breakfast is an important meal, but if your toddler isn’t ready to eat the minute they wake up, this is not that big a deal.

Some kids take an hour or so to ease into their day and simply aren’t interested in food when their feet hit the floor in the morning. Others emerge from their bedrooms and go straight to the fridge, impossible to handle until they have eaten something.

Your toddler will want to be your little helper now, no matter what you’re doing. That means you’ll need to be careful about what you share. Cleaning agents and chemicals may not be toxic to an adult, but to a developing child with immature organs they can pose a risk. If your 25-month-old wants to help you clean, give them a bucket of plain water with some non-toxic bubbles.

There are no vaccinations this month, but if you’ve recently immigrated from another country or your toddler is overdue for a vaccination, make an appointment with your healthcare provider. It is better to have an overdue vaccine and catch-up than miss it altogether.

Head lice can make an unwelcome appearance during the toddler years which means parents need to be vigilant in checking their toddler’s hair and scalp. Different treatments are available, ranging from natural and non-toxic formulations to those which contain active pesticides.

• Plan an activity, no matter how small, to break up your day. Being at home for days on end with a demanding toddler can be tedious.
• Although your toddler may be entirely satisfied with you as company, it is important you can engage and communicate with other adults. Be purposeful to make this happen.
• Discover the natural world and help your toddler look for lizards, ants, bugs, and beetles. Teach them to be gentle and always put these creatures back where they found them. Through you, your toddler will learn how to respect other forms of life.
• If you have older children, encourage them to include your toddler in their games. Feeling as though we are part of a group and not on the outside is important for all of us, especially children.
• If your toddler is sucking their thumb try not to stress. From an orthodontic perspective this is not an issue unless they are still thumb or finger sucking by the time their permanent teeth erupt at around 6- to 8- years-old.
• Expect your toddler to still need to wear a diaper or pull-up to bed overnight, even though they may be toilet trained during the day. It can take up to a year for them to develop enough to be able to hold it at night.