What babies learn from month 18 - 24 months

Child Development: The Child from 18 to 24 Months

What your child learns at 18 to 24 months 

Your wonderful child is really becoming her own person as each day goes by. While she loves being around you, she is also showing strong indications of wanting to learn to do things on her own. This is an exciting time to start teaching her the ins and outs of daily life: dressing herself, loading and unloading the washing machine and dishwasher, pouring water at the table, cleaning up, washing her hands and face. Meanwhile, both her fine and gross motor skills develop, allowing more time for big outdoor adventures as well as engaging time at home with toys that challenge and amuse. It’s also a great time to converse with your child–she’s really developing her vocabulary and imagination right now!

Child Development: The Child from 18 to 21 Months

Child Development – 18 to 21 Months: Gross Motor Skills, Kinesthetic Learning, and Self-Care

What an exciting time! Your 1.5 year old is becoming more and more independent and engaged in movement activities, kinesthetic learning, and daily life opportunities for self-care. 

Your toddler is exercising his gross motor skills by seeking out more difficult challenges. You may have noticed an increased interest in climbing. You can encourage your child by visiting different playgrounds that offer interesting equipment for him to climb (while you’re on standby to catch them if he falls, of course!). Your child may also be interested in carrying heavy items; let him practice carrying something (like a small stool) across the room, or, for an added challenge, up the stairs (for example, a small bag of groceries). 

Speaking of movement: children learn in different ways, and one way to reinforce learning is to move one’s body at the same time. Sensory activities with interestingly textured toys, musical instruments, and spicy cooking activities are great ways to keep both your child’s body and mind engaged! 

Notice how your child is now resisting diaper changes or showing an interest in hand washing or the dishwasher? That’s because your child wants to participate in his self-care and help around the house. Give your child lots of opportunities to help with daily life: he can assist with loading and unloading the dishwasher, practice wiping his face with a cloth, hand you his diaper while being changed standing up, and choose which clothes to wear. Think creatively about how to include your little one in daily chores.

Your adorable toddler is entering the world of independence and knowledge. Here are 5 Montessori tips to help you keep up with this amazing individual:

1. Let your child know what he CAN do
   Rather than saying “no” when your child is doing something you don’t want him to do, redirect him toward something he CAN do. Instead of “Don’t throw that cup,” say “Throw this ball to me.” 
2. Build self-esteem with feedback
   Be specific with feedback. Instead of “good job,” say “You put your books back on the shelf!”
3. Be his calm when he loses control
   Be a steadying and calming presence when your toddler has a tantrum. A tantrum is your toddler’s way of saying “I have lost control, please help me calm down.”
4. Respect your child’s struggle
   Even if you’re tempted to step in and help your child as he struggles with an activity, try to step back and observe him: watch his state of concentration, his expressions, and his movement. Observe him learning.
5. Tell him what you’re going to do before you do it
   This helps your child anticipate what is going to happen and allows him to be a collaborator. 

The Wild Boar Box: Educational Toys for Children beginning at 18 Months Old

Tribu has collected the best toys to stimulate your baby’s development. This is how the toys help your baby beginning at 18 months old:

• The Threading Toy is a wooden crocodile toy that needs to be completed by stringing four beads to complete its body. Your child will hone his concentration and tactile skills while playing with this fun toy.
• The Big Animals Puzzle is a fun take on the classic Tetris video game–but in analog and perfect for a toddler! This wooden and recycled plastic toy challenges your child to combine different animal shapes into the quadratic base. You can use it as a vocabulary game, too!
• The Rainbow Stacker is an enchanting wooden toy that is sure to awaken your child’s imagination! It’s an open-ended sensory toy that can be used for color or size sorting, stacking, building, and all kinds of child-led games. It’s also a beautiful aesthetic addition to your little one’s play space.
• The Car Ramp Racer is a super fun wooden toy that encourages your child to learn about gravity and patience through play. Meanwhile, your child is even integrating the left and right hemispheres of his brain by following the cars as they roll down the track. This helps with movement development and even reading readiness. It’s perfect for independent or partner play.
• Bolts and Nuts is a wooden toy that consists of 4 easy-to-grip pieces that challenges your toddler’s developing motor skills. The screws and nuts can be combined in multiple fun ways. The toy is painted in water-based paints and is completely safe for your child.
• The Tree Stacker is a beautiful wooden and recycled plastic toy that provides your child with many experiences: sorting, stacking, color matching, sensory exploration, and imaginative play.
• The Drum is a lovely wooden toy that sparks your child’s love and enjoyment of music. Simple and sturdy, your child will practice playing with both hands in unison and in different patterns. It’s a great toy for all ages and stages.

Child Development: The Child from 21 to 24 Months

Child Development – 21 to 24 Months: Motor Skills, Real Life, and Language Skills

Your toddler continues to exercise independence by further developing fine motor skills, real life practical experience, and language skills.

Your child is developing better concentration and simultaneously interested in attention to detail. This is a great time to find toys and games that allow your child to practice fine motor skills. She will be eager to refine coordination and accuracy.

Your child may be showing signs of daily independence, including wanting to dress herself, use the toilet, pour liquids at the table, and clean up after herself. This is a good time for your child to practice with different types of clothes fasteners: zippers, laces, velcro, buttons. Practice with a basket of clothes. She will also enjoy learning to put on jackets and hats independently. Explore an interest in toilet learning by practicing with a potty and reading books about toileting. Finally, give your child opportunities to pour water from container to container and show her how to clean up small spills. 

Your child’s communication and language skills continue to rapidly develop. Help exercise this with stories and songs. Visit your library and explore books (fiction and nonfiction) on different topics. See if your library offers a read aloud storytime: it’s a great place to practice listening and language, as well as meeting new friends! And be sure to talk while playing with your child, and observe her putting new vocabulary words into action as she enjoys her toys.

Your toddler is becoming more and more independent and facing more difficult challenges. Here are 5 Montessori Tips to help you keep up with this busy little person.

1. Give demonstrations, rather than dictations
   Remember: your child is still learning. Rather than giving your child something to do with only verbal instructions, take time to slowly demonstrate what to do, then give her a chance to try. Don’t step in to help until she looks to you for help.
2. Count to 10 before stepping in
   In a safe situation, it’s not necessary to rush in to help your child. Count to ten, and see if your child can resolve the problem on her own using her own abilities and skills. Often this pause is useful for letting your child successfully resolve a new challenge on her own.
3. Let her use her own hands
   Let your child move her own hands rather than moving her hands for her. You want your child to have the confidence to do it herself. An easy reminder is: “if their hands are on the material, my hands are off.”
4. Give 2 real options, and let her choose
   This teaches your child self-awareness, reflection, and decision making. It encourages collaboration, shows that your respect her choice, and makes life so much easier! For example: “Would you like to wear your green shirt or your purple shirt?”
5. Play or work? 
   Monterssorians often use the word “work” to describe what others might call “play.” This is because Maria Montessori observed that play is the work of a child. 

The Rabbit Box: Educational Toys for Children beginning at 21 Months Old

Tribu has curated a variety of beautiful and educational toys to assist with your child’s development. This is how the toys help your child beginning at 21 months old:

• The Xylophone is a simple and lovely wooden musical instrument that will enrich your child’s musical life. Your child will refine her perception of higher and lower pitches, can play along with music, or make up her own songs. It’s a fantastic toy for all ages and stages!
• Sort and Count is a dynamic wooden sorting toy featuring five wooden bowls and five chips of each color. Your child will develop concentration while sorting the colors, stacking the bowls, and counting from 0 to 25! 
• The Pull Along Snail is a cute wooden toy that’s great fun for toddlers who are learning to coordinate their movements and become more graceful and fluid at walking and running. Your child will delight in pulling it while walking forwards or backwards. 
• The Cone Puzzle is a strikingly beautiful open-ended puzzle that’s fun for all ages and offers different levels of challenge. Your child will use this wooden toy to explore concepts of height, depth, size, and order. The puzzle features nine unique pieces that fit together in a variety of ways.
•  The Fishing Game is a colorful wooden toy that features a magnetic fishing rod. Your child’s goal is to capture the different fish in the bowl. The toy doubles as a puzzle: your child must put the fish back in their places in the bowl. A fantastic toy that offers lots of opportunities for concentration, hand-eye coordination, vocabulary development, color identification, and more! 
• Animal Matching is a great game for your child’s vocabulary development and categorization skills. The object of the game is to match the 3-dimensional toy to its 2-dimensional photo. A satisfying game for your little animal lover.
• The Cube Puzzle is a wooden toy that features beautiful animal illustrations. Toddlers have the chance to reconstruct images by putting the blocks together to reveal several different animal portraits.