Getting to know your toddler:
6 Months to 2 Years
6 Months to 2 Years
Between 6 months and 2 years of age, babies become toddlers. Your child will start walking, talking, and interacting more with the world around him.
It can be hard to figure out what your child needs or why he behaves the way he does. You may wonder why he doesn’t eat as much as you expect. Some days he will eat at every meal and some days he will push food away. You may feel confused or frustrated when he gets upset. You may wonder why he can’t control his emotions. These behaviors are normal. They happen because of 6 developmental changes that all older babies and toddlers go through. These 6 Big Changes impact how your child eats, plays, learns, sleeps, and communicates.
They have a strong need to practice exploring with their fingers. They love learning to feed themselves.
They like to point at things to ask their caregivers to tell them what they see.
They remember patterns in their lives to learn about the world around them.
Around 9 or 10 months old, it is natural for children to start growing more slowly.
What You See:
Between 6 months and 2 years of age, children learn to move in new and exciting ways!
Your child works hard to sit up, crawl, stand, and walk. It takes a lot of practice to learn these new skills. Your child’s body is telling him to keep practicing until he gets it right. Sometimes, the need to move his body is so strong, he may want to practice even more than he wants to eat or sleep. Once he learns a new skill, he will not be so focused on practicing.
When your child is learning a new skill, she may:
Tips to Try:
Your child is learning to use his fingers.
He wants to hold things, explore the world, and feed himself. Using his hands in new ways takes a lot of time and practice. Sometimes, practicing can be more important to him than eating or sleeping. It is easy to think that babies and toddlers reach for or put things in their mouths only when they are hungry. This is also how they explore and learn. Your child needs your help to know what is safe to touch and what is good to eat.
What You See:
Your child may get upset when he cannot use his fingers the way he wants. He may:
The world is a big confusing place.
Your child will be very curious about the things she sees and hears. She learns a lot by playing and interacting with the people around her. She may point at things because she wants you to tell her about what she sees. Sometimes she may be asking for what she points to. Other times, she will be happy just hearing you talk about it.
Your child can learn healthy habits by watching you. She wants to do the same things you do and eat the same foods you eat. With your help, she will learn what she can have, where she can go, what she can do, and what she can touch.
Tips to Try:
As your child gets older, he remembers more and more.
He remembers the things he sees, hears, smells, and tastes. He remembers what he likes and does not like. He also remembers the jobs or roles people have in his life. For example, he remembers that you feed him and grandma takes him to the park. Having a better memory helps him learn. It is also fun. He enjoys predicting things, so games like peek-aboo make him laugh!
What You See:
Tips to Try:
Your child is better at remembering patterns in his life.
When he notices the same things happening in the same order, like during diaper changes and mealtime, he remembers all the steps.
He makes a script of the steps in his mind so he will know what will happen next time. These scripts are much like a movie script with one scene following the next. He may get upset when things don’t happen the way he expects. You can create routines for activities that you want to go smoothly. Your child will remember the steps in the routine and make scripts about those activities. To make a routine, use the same steps in the same order each time. A routine is different than a schedule. It’s the order of the steps, not the time on the clock that matters. If you repeat the routine over and over, your child will soon make a new script in his mind. Knowing what will happen next helps him feel relaxed and safe.
Tips to Try:
Adapted with permission from California WIC and UC Davis Human Lactation Center:
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Side-Lying Hold
This hold is useful when:
Cross-Cradle Hold
This hold is useful when:
Clutch or “Football” Hold
This hold is useful when:
Cradle Hold
This hold is useful when:
Laid-Back Hold
This hold is useful when: