Toddlers develop relationships with the people around them
right from birth, but the process of learning to communicate, share, and
interact with others takes many years to develop.
The following are some of the typical developmental
milestones for children 2-3 years of age.
- Be assertive about what he wants, and says no to adult requests
- Start to show awareness of her own feelings
- Begin to show empathy to other children (respond to their feelings)
- Have rapid mood shifts
- Show more fear in certain situations (i.e. the dark)
- Possibly become aggressive and frustrated easily
- Not like change
- Want independence, but still need to be reassured by parents
- Need a consistent and predictable routine
- Watch other children in play, and join them briefly
- Begin to play “house”
- Begin to separate more easily from parents
Red Flags
- Not interested in pretend play
- Has extreme difficulty separating from you
- Not starting to or responding to simple interactions with other children
- Showing abnormal aggression
- Shows extreme fears that interfere with daily activities
- Extremely “rigid” about routines
If you notice any of these by the time your child is 3 years
old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or another health professional such
as a mental health clinician, a speech-language pathologist, an occupational
therapist, or a psychologist.
