Months 22-24 Development & Milestones

The period leading up to the second birthday (and the infamous stage known as the terrible twos!) is filled with exciting milestones and heartwarming achievements. As your little one grows, you’ll notice them becoming more curious, independent, and expressive. Their world is quickly expanding, filled with wonder and discovery. Understanding what to expect during these months can help you support and celebrate each step of their journey.

During this time, your child will probably start to understand more complicated requests, recognise major differences in object sizes, and frequently ask the adorable question, “What’s that?” They will remember past events and anticipate future happenings, all while their vocabulary expands to include as many as 300 words! From naming pictures of everyday objects to having fun during simple pretend play, these months will likely seem like a whirlwind of growth and learning.

Let’s explore various aspects of your child’s development, including their physical growth, cognitive abilities, social and emotional development, language and communication skills, as well as sensory and motor skills. We’ll provide you with insights and activities to make this stage enjoyable and enriching for both you and your child. Let’s get a glimpse into the wonderful world of your almost 2 year old!

Physical Development

22 Months: At 22 months, you can expect girls to typically weigh around 11.1 kg and be approximately 84.6 cm tall. Boys might weigh about 11.8 kg and measure around 86 cm tall.

23 Months: By 23 months, girls are likely to weigh about 11.3 kg and reach 85.5 cm in height. Boys may weigh around 12.0 kg and reach around 86.9 cm tall.

24 Months: At 2 years old, it’s common for girls to weigh about 11.5 kg and stand about 85.7 cm tall. Boys typically weigh about 12.2 kg and reach a height of approximately 87.1 cm.

Cognitive Development

Part of the 2 year old developmental milestones involve your child’s cognitive abilities really starting to shine! They start to grasp more complex requests and show an even bigger interest in the world around them. Here are some exciting milestones to look forward to:

• Understanding Requests: Your child begins to understand more complicated requests, such as “Please put your toys in the basket,” demonstrating their growing comprehension skills. This ability to follow multi-step instructions is a major achievement in their cognitive development!
• Size Differences: While recognising major differences in object sizes is becoming easier, minor differences might still be tricky. This developing skill is important for problem-solving and logical thinking as they learn to compare and contrast different objects.
• Curiosity Galore: The frequent question, “What’s that?” reflects their ever-expanding curiosity and eagerness to learn about their environment.
• Memory and Anticipation: They can remember past events and anticipate future happenings, adding a new dimension to their understanding. This ability to recall and predict helps them make sense of routines and build a sense of security.
• Describing Characteristics: They describe the characteristics of some items, such as “soft teddy” or “cold juice,” showcasing their observational skills and ability to articulate their thoughts.
• Pretend Play: Engaging in simple pretend play, like feeding a doll or pretending to cook, allows them to mimic real-life scenarios, which is fantastic for their imagination and understanding of social roles!
• The Power of “No”: They use the word “no” emphatically, demonstrating their growing sense of autonomy and ability to make choices. This assertion of independence is an important aspect of their developing personality, although it can be frustrating at times!

Suggested Activities

Encourage cognitive development with activities that involve naming objects, playing memory games, and engaging in pretend play. Reading books together, asking questions, and describing pictures can also boost their comprehension and vocabulary. Introduce simple puzzles and sorting games to enhance their problem-solving skills and understanding of size differences. Engaging them in daily routines, like helping set the table or sorting laundry, can also provide practical learning experiences that help to reinforce their cognitive growth.

Emotional & Social Development

Your 22-24 year old’s emotional development and social skills are also experiencing further growth! This is a key time when they begin to understand their feelings, interact with others, and grasp basic social etiquette. Here are some milestones to look out for during this period:

• Self-Sufficiency: Your child likes to do things for themselves, asserting their growing autonomy. Encourage these small acts of independence! Allow them to feed themselves or choose their clothes – this will help to build their confidence.
• Daydreaming Chatter: They often chatter to themselves while daydreaming, which is their way of processing thoughts and experiences. This self-talk is a sign of their developing inner dialogue and cognitive growth.
• Imitation: Your child explores people through imitation, copying actions and behaviours of those around them – usually the adults. This mimicry is important for learning social norms and understanding roles within their family and community.
• Possessiveness: They can be possessive of their belongings, often claiming them as “mine.” This behaviour, while almost as challenging as tantrums, is a natural part of asserting their identity and understanding ownership.
• Fetching and Delivering: They enjoy fetching and delivering items, feeling a sense of accomplishment and usefulness. This eagerness to help nurtures their cooperative spirit and reinforces positive social interactions.
• Demanding Attention: Your toddler demands a lot of caregiver attention, seeking interaction, reassurance, and validation. Providing ample one-on-one time helps them feel secure, valued, and of course, loved.
• Pretend Play: Engaging in more elaborate pretend play, such as playing house or pretending to cook, helps them understand and practise social roles and interactions. This type of imaginative play is important in developing empathy and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding Emotions: They start to understand and express a wider range of emotions, both in themselves and others. This growing emotional intelligence helps them navigate social situations and build relationships with others!
• Exploring Boundaries: Testing limits and exploring boundaries is common at this age. While we caregivers may not love it, it’s an essential part of learning self-control and understanding acceptable behaviour.

Suggested Activities

Encourage social and emotional development through engaging activities that help your child understand and express their feelings while interacting with others. Arrange playdates with other toddlers to help your child practice sharing and cooperation. Supervised interactions with their little buddies provide invaluable opportunities for social learning!

Language & Communication

As your child approaches their second birthday, their language skills are quickly advancing, enhancing both their interactions and their understanding of the world. Here are some 2 year old speech milestones in their journey:

• Expressing Needs: Your little one can probably tell you what they want, such as asking for a specific toy, food, or activity. This ability to verbalise their desires reduces frustration (phew!) and helps to develop their sense of independence.
• Using Descriptive Language: They start to use multiple words to describe the characteristics of certain things, such as saying “big dog” or “red car.”
• Listening and Responding: Your toddler listens to and comprehends more complex conversations directed at them, sometimes responding with appropriate comments or questions!
• Expanding Vocabulary: They understand and use as many as 300 words! This really broadens their ability to express thoughts and ideas. This rapidly growing vocabulary lays the foundation for more complex language development, sentences, and conversations.

Suggested Activities

Promote language development through regular conversation, reading, and interactive play. You can encourage interactive play that involves talking and responding, such as playing house, using puppets, or having tea parties. This type of play helps practise conversational skills and role-playing.

Sensory & Motor Skills

Between 22 and 24 months, your toddler’s sensory and motor skills continue to become more refined and coordinated. They’re gaining better control over their movements, and their sensory perception is enhancing their interaction with the world around them! Here are some key milestones in their sensory and motor development to look out for:

• Combining Movements: Your child can likely combine two or three simple body movements with ease. This might include actions like clapping while walking or dancing to music!
• Building Towers: They can build a tower of blocks, showing off their fine motor skills and ability to balance and stack objects. While they may only be able to stack four at once, this activity helps to enhance their hand-eye coordination and fosters problem-solving skills.
• Manipulating Objects: Your little one probably enjoys putting lids on containers, taking them off, and putting pegs into holes. These tasks require precision and control, which are terrific for developing fine motor skills.
• Self-Help Skills: They are getting better at removing clothing and shoes, though dressing themselves is likely still a work in progress! These self-help skills are important for fostering independence and self-sufficiency.
• Navigating Spaces: Your tiny explorer can manoeuvre around objects easily, walking heel to toe like grown-ups. This improved coordination and balance are necessary as they become more adventurous in their physical activities!
• Throwing and Kicking: They can throw a small ball and kick it with better accuracy, enhancing their hand-eye coordination and leg strength. These activities are great for their overall physical development!
• Climbing Stairs: Your toddler can probably climb up and down stairs alone, using both feet on each step. They may still ask for mum or dad’s hand if they’re feeling uneasy on the way down!
• Scribbling Skills: Your child can imitate drawing straight lines or circles by scribbling with a crayon or pencil. This early stage of drawing helps develop their fine motor skills and prepares them for writing.
• Shape Matching: They can match familiar shapes, which is a key aspect of their visual development as well as cognitive abilities.

Suggested Activities

Offer crayons, markers, and paper for drawing and pretend writing. This helps develop their fine motor skills and creativity. Encourage them to try drawing shapes or simple objects that they’re familiar with.

Feeding & Nutrition

Feeding your 22-24 month-old seems like a long-awaited adventure as they become more proficient with utensils and their self feeding improves. This stage is a great opportunity to introduce a variety of healthy recipes and encourage self-feeding, making mealtimes both fun and nutritious!

Introduce a colourful variety of foods to make their plates visually appealing and nutritionally balanced. Encourage self-feeding by providing child-friendly utensils and allowing your toddler to practise. This not only helps to build their motor skills but also facilitates a sense of independence.

Remember, patience and encouragement are key. Every small step towards trying new foods and self-feeding is a milestone worth celebrating!

Sleep Patterns

Sleep is a vital part of your 2 year old’s growth and development, and understanding toddler sleep needs can make this stage smoother for everyone! Generally, toddlers in this age group need about 11-14 hours of sleep in total, which often includes one or two naps during the day. Many toddlers are transitioning from two naps to one, and this change can sometimes cause disruptions in their sleep patterns.

If sleep disruptions occur, do your best to remain calm and reassuring. Gently guide them back to bed and use a comforting routine to help them settle. Consistency is very important, so stick to your bedtime routine even if they resist. If your toddler is waking up frequently, consider adjusting their nap schedule or bedtime to find a balance.

Creating a positive sleep environment and routine not only supports your child’s health and well-being but also gives you a chance to enjoy some peaceful moments together.

Health & Safety

Childproofing your home is important in keeping your adventurous toddler safe. Installing safety gates, securing furniture to walls, and covering electrical outlets are all good ideas. Keep small objects, chemicals, and sharp items out of reach. Always supervise your child during playtime and outdoor activities, teaching them basic safety rules like not touching hot surfaces and holding an adult’s hand when walking down the street. Your vigilance and proactive measures help create an environment for your child to explore and grow safely!

According to the Australian National Immunisation Program Schedule, it’s essential to keep up with recommended vaccinations and boosters to protect your child from serious illnesses. Make sure to consult your paediatrician about any vaccines due around this age, including the annual flu shot during flu season, free for kids under 5!

When to Speak to Your Paediatrician

Be on the lookout for signs of potential developmental delays. If your child has limited speech, struggles with social interactions, or shows difficulty with motor skills like walking or using their hands, it might indicate that they need additional support.

Regular visits and open communication with your healthcare provider are essential in supporting your child’s development and well-being. By staying proactive, you can help ensure your little one is on the right track to a healthy, happy future!

Need to talk? Our Careline is always here to support you with any questions or concerns you may have. We’re just a call away!

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