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 1-2 years of age.
- Recognize herself in the mirror or photograph and smile or make faces at herself
- Begin to say ‘no’ to bedtime and other requests
- Imitate adults’ actions and words (i.e. chores, talking on play phone)
- Understand words and commands, and respond to them
- Hug and kiss parents, familiar people and pets
- Begin to feel jealousy when she is not the center of attention
- Show frustration easily
- May play next to another child, but will not really share yet
- Be able to play alone for a few minutes
- React to changes in daily routines
- Share a piece of food
- Develop a range of emotions (may have tantrums, show aggression by biting, etc.)
- Start to assert independence by preferring to try do things “by myself”, without help
Red Flags
- Doesn’t imitate other people
- Constantly moves from one activity to another and not able to stay at an activity for brief periods
- Requires constant attention to stay at an activity
- Doesn’t show any interest in other children
- Doesn’t “show” things to other people
- Extremely “rigid” about routines, becoming extremely upset when they are changed
- Too passive, and doesn’t want to try things other children her age are doing
- Has extreme difficulty waiting for items he wants
If you notice any of these by the time your child is 18-24
months old (2 years), 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.
