21 months

It’s not just Baby’s mind that’s expanding as they grow – their body is growing every day, too. Growth in the second year is slower than the mad dash of the first year, but it’s still steady. If your tot still sleeps in their crib, it’s important to keep an eye on them as they get taller – once they are able to climb out of their crib when they get antsy, the crib isn’t a safe place for them to sleep anymore.

As they grow, they are going to keep learning through active, engaged play. Active play helps them exercise and strengthen their growing body, as well as giving them the chance to explore the world around them. Baby understands the world around them better than they used to, but they still learn best when they can not just see things, but also touch them, sometimes taste them, and every once in awhile, throw them against a wall, just to see what happens.

It’s important to keep learning through active play in mind, because as Baby gets closer and closer to their second birthday, they are also getting closer to the point when the American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends completely limiting screen time. As that time approaches, if you do start letting your little one spend a little time watching TV or playing games on a computer, phone, or tablet, it’s important to start by setting your own limits with them. Toddlers are years away from developing any serious self-control of their own, so Baby is depending on you to do it for them – even if they doesn’t know it yet, and pushes back against the limits you set.

Toddlers are still developing the ability to learn even from educational shows and games, so the things Baby learns about the world are going to come from the time they spend playing, so the more time they spend with a phone, tablet, or TV screen, the more time they should be spending in active play or free play. Free play may not seem like a learning experience on the surface, but it’s a crucial part of the way Baby gets to know the world. They are a curious kid, and at this age, their own curiosity is one of the best teachers they could have.

Milestones

  • Identity words: Baby isn’t just learning how to say words – they're also learning how to use them. Around this time, they might be starting to learn how to use identity words like “I,” “you,” and “me.” If they are, this means that they're getting sharper not just when it comes to the finer points of grammar, but also in terms of their own identity, distinct from yours.
  • Climb furniture: The idea of your toddler climbing furniture can sound scary – and can be scary! But it’s an important skill. For most people, it’s easy to take the ability to climb onto the couch and make themselves comfy for granted, but for toddlers, it can be a difficult task to learn to master.
Sources
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