18- months- 2 years Your baby’s speech will become more complex during this time. He will probably have a vocabulary of about 30 words, including possessives- “mine” – and negatives – “won’t”- instead of simply “no.” He is staring to combine words to make simple statements, such as “ball gone” or questions: “Where Daddy?” He understands that conversation is a two- way thing and will wait his turn to speak; he uses language to give information, to ask for things, to tell how he feels, and to relate to other people.

Remember that he can understand a lot more words than he can use, so you can continue to help him by teaching him new words. Use adjectives whenever you can, and combine them with nouns: “Good boy,” “hot water,” “big dog.” Introduce adverbs, too: “Run quickly,” “Pat the dog gently.” When you use prepositions- “on,” “under,” “behind” – always show him what you mean.

2-3 years   Your toddler probably has a vocabulary of 200- 300 words by now, and he can talk at some length. He is interested in learning new words. His attention span is longer, and he will listen to you when you explain things or give reasons. He will still mispronounce words and may lisp, but his fluency and confidence are improving all the time. He can connect two ideas in a single sentence- “I get teddy and play in garden”- and can use pronounce such as “I,” “me,” and “you” correctly.

You can help your child increase his vocabulary by using unfamiliar words in your speech in such a way that he can guess at their meaning, ad repeat them frequently so that he can learn how they are used. Read to him often and explain new words as they arise. He will like to hear the same stories read over and over, and will be able to understand increasingly complicated narratives.

Your child’s use of language is becoming more social now, and he will talk more to other children than to adult, so contact with children is the best way to help him develop his abilities.

This is quite normal because your child will not have sufficient judgment to control her strength of will or the language to express herself clearly, but as her knowledge and experience of the world broaden, the occasions when her will is pitched directly against yours become less frequent.

A tantrum may be brought on by such feelings as frustration, anger, jealousy, and dislike. Anger is brought on by not getting her own way; frustration by her not being sufficiently strong or well coordinated to do what she wants. It will usually involve your child throwing herself on the floor, kicking and screaming.

The best thing you can do is to stay calm, since any attention on your part will only prolong the attack. If she has one in public, take her away from too much attention, without fuss.

At home, an effective technique is simply to leave the room. Explain to your child that, while you still love her, you have to leave the room because you are getting angry.

Never confine her in another room because this denies her the option of coming back and saying she’s sorry.

There are situations that are non- negotiable: where your child’s safety is threatened, when the thoughts and feelings of others should be considered, and where your child is tempted to tamper with the truth. You should be very firm on these points, and she will gradually learn a sense of responsibility for disciplining herself as she grows up. Freshness can often to be mistaken for impertinence, but unless your child is imposing on the feelings of others, she may be displaying nothing more than a healthy resistance to authority, which can be useful, if sensibly directed.

A spoiled or over-indulged child will behave in a self-centered way, and this may be the result of the overprotectiveness, favoritism, or the high expectations of her parents. The best cure is to let her go to playgroup or preschool at two and a half to three to get her used to mixing with other children.

Milestones: Your child may just be able to zip a zipper. He will try an “unscrewing” movement with jar tops or doorknobs by the age of two. He’ll use crayons more deliberately and may be able to build a tower of four blocks.

Getting dressed: At two and a half, putting on and taking off clothes will become easier and your child will be eager to do these things for himself.

The average child watches an average of eight hours’ television a day. One hour a day is more than enough for your young child.

More than this may prevent him from acquiring communication, imaginative, and coordination skills that could be more thoroughly developed through games and storytelling. You should, therefore, monitor the amount of television your child watches and be wary of using it as a convenient baby-sitting tool when you don’t feel like amusing him. Used carefully, however, television can be a useful aid to acquiring new concepts, like telling time.

Research shows that your child could continue to live in the fantasy world of television long after he’s stopped watching, causing nightmares if he’s watched anything frightening or violent.

Swedish researchers have shown that bringing a child back into the real world- which a story, tooth brushing, or laying out tomorrows clothes- can banish this unpleasant effect of television.

As she gets older, she will acquire new skills and enjoy anything that tests them- building and knocking down, or constructing and taking apart. Household items such as plastic containers and cardboard tubes will stimulate her creativity and imagination. Drawing, painting, making shapes with clay or colored dough, and fitting together puzzles encourage creativity. Long before she’s able to write or draw formally, your child will love scribbling and using colors, so give her crayons and lots of paper. A box of colored chalks and a blackboard and easel, set up at her height, will be useful because she’ll be able to draw, then rub out her work, and start again.

Children love being part of the domestic routine. A small child can be given a little bowl with some flour to mix each time you bake; she can help also with carrying, and use a small dustpan and brush to help with the cleaning.

Between 15 and 18 months, imagination begins to appear in doll play. At tree years, your child will have imaginary playmates behind the sofa and will tell stories and play highly imaginative games. Her imagination may lead to the development of fears: of the dark, of noises, or of animals, for example.

Chores: Your toddler enjoys helping you with some simple household tasks, such as sweeping.

Mental Development: At the toddler stage, your child starts to become an independent, person. Her speech will progress during his phase, and she will have an insatiable curiosity about her world and everything in it, will be able to cope with increasingly complex ideas, and will be eager to put all she learns to good use.

• Dress your toddler in something brightly colored so you can spot her from a distance
• Have some sort of family code for your children to come back to you. I used to carry a small whistle around my neck
• Use reins or a wrist strap in busy places so she can’t wander
• From as early an age as possible, make your child learn her name, address , and telephone number so she can repeat them if gets lost
• Teach her never to walk off with a stranger
• Make sure your child recognizes her surroundings when she’s near to home by pointing out landmarks, on every journey: “There’s the mailbox on the corner, and there’s the blue gate, and our house is the next one”

Wrist straps

An adjustable strap links you and your child together at the wrists to stop her from wandering.

Overtiredness A child of this age very often becomes overexcited and overtired toward bedtime. He will try to put off his bedtime as long as possible and simply become more distressed. Your child might become so fragile that any small discomfort or frustration will make him cry inconsolably.

If you are expecting your child to have a late evening, or a special treat such as a party or a school play, make sure he has a nap during the day so that his energy will last. If he does become overexcited and overtired, it is especially important that you remain calm and quiet. Talk to him softly, give him lots of hugs, be infinitely patient, ad take him gently to his bedroom. Sing him a song or read a story until he has become calm and quieted down.

Again, a very good way to reassure your child is to go step by step through what is going to happen when you leave him. The more details you can give, and the more you can confirm the details, the better. What you might say is, “When Daddy comes home from work, we are both going to get ready to go visit Aunt Sarah. I will have a bath, Daddy will shave, and we’ll change our clothes. Then we’ll put you to bed and we’ll have our usual song, story, and game. Then Mommy will lie on your bed and cuddle you while we talk about your day and what you are going to do tomorrow. Mommy won’t leave you until you are fast asleep, and the next thing you will know is that it is morning and Mommy will be there.”