One Year Olds: 23 & 24 Months

A child's self-esteem is his overall view of himself. It determines whether he likes, accepts and respects himself. One of the greatest and most important challenges you face is to help your child feel good about himself. Children begin very early to form good or bad pictures of themselves.

You can help your child feel good about himself by telling him that you like who he is, and how he does things. Catch him being good. Let him know when you think he does a good job of putting blocks in a bucket -- or dumping them out of the bucket. Thank him for putting napkins on the table, or hanging his towel up. Show him with smiles as well as words. Tell your child what to do rather than what not to do. Instead of saying, "Don't carry the cat that way," say, "Hold the cat like this," and show him. This way, he'll feel like a success rather than a failure. Show he's important to you. Listen to what your child says, and answer his questions. Take time to understand his feelings -- his joys, and his fears. You are showing him that his ideas and feelings are important. All this will help him feel important and capable. You are helping him develop the self-confidence to become the responsible, successful person he can be.

Talking toddlers learn better. What kinds of daily experiences are most likely to help young children learn better? Joseph H. Stevens, Jr., professor of early childhood education at Georgia State University, reviewed research to answer this question. The way parents and caregivers help their children develop language does influence children's learning, the research showed. Children who were most intelligent had parents or caregivers who: talked to them a lot, encouraged them to use language, and did things with them that helped them learn and practice language. Professor Stevens found that a child's intelligence improved when parents and teachers actively helped the child to label, describe, compare, classify and question.

What's it like to be 23 and 24 months old?

How I grow

• I can pedal a small tricycle.
• I can throw a ball into a wastebasket.
• I can walk down stairs alone, both feet on one step at a time, holding the railing.
• I can walk a few steps on tiptoe.
• I like to walk on low walls, holding someone's hand.
• I usually like to run more than I like to walk.
• I might be afraid of the noise of trains, trucks, thunder, toilet flushing, and the vacuum cleaner.
• I might also fear rain, wind and animals. Be patient with me.

How I talk

• I can ask questions just to keep the conversation going.
• I can answer some questions such as: "What is your name?" "What does the dog say?" "What does the cat say?"
• I can name almost everything that I see often, like things in my house, my preschool, or my neighborhood.
• I can ask for food and drink.
• I'm beginning to learn the meaning of "soon," and I am learning to wait.

What I am learning

• I can sit and "read" picture books, and turn the pages myself.
• I can put together a puzzle with three to six pieces.
• I can make a tower of eight blocks.
• I know pretty well where things are located in and around my house.

How I get along with others

• I like to please others.
• I am interested in babies and their mothers.
• I like to be with other children for short periods of time, but I still don't understand sharing.
• I like to order other people around.
• I want my way in everything.
• I sometimes show my anger by slapping, biting or hitting.
• I am sometimes stubborn and defiant.
• I use short phrases like "That mine," "Don't like," "Go away," and "I won't." And I say "no" a lot.
• I am afraid of disapproval and rejection.

What I can do for myself

• I can take off all my clothes, and put most of them back on.
• I can turn doorknobs and open doors.
• Keep dangerous things out of my sight, and out of my reach. I like to unwrap packages.
• I want to do lots of things by myself.
• I know what a toilet is for, but I probably don't want to use it yet.

Play I enjoy

• I like to play simple chase games like tag.
• I like to be pushed on a swing.
• A teddy bear or soft doll is still my favorite toy.
• I like to take things apart, and put them together.
• Watch out, so I don't play with small pieces that could choke me.
• I can stack five rings on a peg toy in the right order.
• I mess happily with soft modeling clay.

Reproduced with the permission of CCSS National Network for Childcare