What a 2-year-old child should be able to do

Two-year-old children already know a lot, and although the concept of child development norms is a very conditional concept, it is good to understand what a child should master by the age of two.

Source: instagram@babylookstudio

After a year, the baby's development is rapid, and he learns vital skills, such as speech and walking. In addition, by the age of 2, the baby already understands that he is a separate person from his mother and may well try to defend the right to his own opinion. Everyone knows about the 3-year crisis, with hysterical whims and protests against everything. But already at the age of 2, the first "rehearsal" occurs in most children - a crisis of two years, which manifests itself in protests and frequent tantrums, because the child does not yet know other methods to "reach" you. So, what should a child under 2 years of age learn?

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROSS MOTORS

• By the age of two, there is a jump in the development of gross motor skills - the child already walks well, he has learned to run! And he really likes it.
• Can climb and descend stairs without the help of an adult, holding on to the handrail.
• He can master a low vertical ladder - he climbs a few steps, but he still needs additional insurance from his parents.
• Jumps over small obstacles - can jump over a puddle or a pothole on the street. They will climb to a small elevation and jump from it.
• Can consciously and on request make faces - pull out lips with a tube, inflate and retract cheeks, close and open eyes without hands.

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ACTIONS WITH OBJECTS AND FINE MOTORS

• By the age of two, the baby can hit the ball with his foot, sometimes he manages to catch the ball thrown by his mother.
• He holds a pencil in his hand and tries to draw, by this age it is usually possible to draw several curved lines that often go beyond the edge of the paper, sometimes with great effort the child can draw an uneven oval.
• He picks up small toys with pleasure, plays with cereal, plasticine - under the supervision of adults.
• The baby is able to eat independently, and practically does not spill food. He eats not only with a spoon, but also with a fork, however, often both hands are involved in the process - it is not necessary to make a remark, if the child learns to control his right and left hands equally skillfully, this will benefit the development of his brain.

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MENTAL DEVELOPMENT AND GAMES

By the age of two, the child tries to expand the boundaries created by the parents and periodically checks each one for "strength". By the way, this is a signal to mom and dad that it's time to allow the baby more, including learning to make small independent decisions, but at the same time staying within the framework of family rules and personal safety.

• He listens with pleasure when they read to him and memorizes short stories. He can remember what happened on a walk or in the garden, but it is still difficult to repeat.
• It varies up to 8 colors, can compare objects by color, choosing the same one, show the color that the adult asks to choose.
• Knows up to 4 simple geometric figures - square, circle, triangle, rectangle. He chooses the one he was asked for and makes the same one.
• Can make a puzzle of 2 fragments with a simple and large picture. Helps to stack cubes with pictures, choosing the right side.
• The first story games appear - he loads objects into the truck and transports them, feeds the doll, rocks it and puts it to sleep.

Source: instagram@babylookstudio

LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• The speech development of a two-year-old child can be different, but, as a rule, by the age of two, the child already speaks quite clearly, utters short meaningful phrases of 2-3 words, can name objects, animals.
• He can show with his fingers how old he is, in response to an adult's question.
• A two-year-old already understands many words and can even carry out small tasks, and they can consist of several actions (take a toy, bring it to dad), the larger the child's vocabulary, the faster and more fully he will use it. It is considered that by the end of the 2nd year, the child's active vocabulary is 200-300 words.
• Can ask simple questions, supplementing words with gestures.
• Knows his name and answers the question "What is your name", can remember the names of parents, grandmothers, pets.
• He ends with a short poem that he knows well, names (sometimes in his own way) the objects in the pictures.
• He is interested in other children - he tries to play next to him on the playground, but interaction does not always work out.

Source: instagram@babylookstudio

CULTURAL AND HYGIENE SKILLS

• He can put on socks, pants, and a jacket on his own. So far, it is difficult with t-shirts and sweaters that need to be pulled over the head and it is not always possible to fasten the buttons or zipper correctly.
• By the age of two, the potty is usually already mastered, and the child can take off his panties and do his own business. Or tell an adult that he wants to go potty and "be patient" while they help him. As a rule, at this age, "cases" are still possible during a night's sleep - the baby does not always wake up if he wants to do his business.
• He knows how to brush his teeth and wash himself, but for now it is worth controlling the process, because the toothpaste can be very tasty, and the water is cold. Independently wipes face and hands with a towel.
• A two-year-old child can perfectly use napkins, independently wipe his mouth during meals and dirty hands. But a clean napkin should lie next to him.

This, of course, is far from a complete list of skills and abilities that can be mastered by a child up to 2 years old. At the same time, remember - every child is an individual, with its own pace of development, so if you do not fit into the norms - do not worry, the baby will catch up. And it is important to understand that a child develops faster where they play with him, talk to him and let him know the world.

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