Typical Behavioral Characteristics and Challenges?
Children are in the Toddler Years from 1 ½ years old until their 3rd birthday. During this time, they go through many new physical, emotional and intellectual experiences, such as:
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High energy levels. Toddlers have lots of energy! This is a period of rapid motor growth. Your child is learning to walk, run, climb, throw and feed himself.
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Curiosity. Toddlers are very interested in how the world works. Your child will want to explore everything in her environment and test how people respond to her behavior.
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Impulsivity. Toddlers begin experiencing impulses and do not have control over them! Remember your child will need your guidance in areas such as safety, manners and empathy.
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Frustration. Toddlers only know how to use a limited number of words and may get frustrated because they cannot express themselves.
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Tantrums. You may see anger in the form of outbursts, typically called "tantrums," during this age. Outbursts peak from 16-24 months and then decline. Your toddler may need your extra help in calming down.
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Independence. Toddlers want to do things by themselves. It's important to be patient and allow enough time for your child to practice everyday tasks such as getting dressed or feeding herself.
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"Mine." Children can become extremely possessive at this age and "mine" is a word you will hear often!
Age Matters
By the time he reaches the 1-year mark, he's ready to test limits and experiment with cause and effect. Just as a toddler will repeatedly press a button on a toy to make it sing, he may smack and bite to elicit your shriek of displeasure and horrified expression. "It's rare that toddlers hit or bite out of aggression," says Ruth Carter, an infant and toddler development specialist at Bellevue Hospital Center, in New York City, and a former preschool teacher. "Adults perceive it that way, but what's really going on is that toddlers are seeing how much they can get away with."
Between 18 months and age 2, a child will hit and bite for attention. Indeed, there's no faster way to get you to stop talking on the phone than if your daughter chomps your calf or thumps her older sister. As Carter notes, "Hitting and biting are hot-button issues that make adults respond immediately."