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The Skills of a Toddler

© Lucy Appadoo

According to the Collins Australian Pocket dictionary, a TODDLER is a young child between the ages of one and two and a half years. It is at this stage that toddlers undergo a number of stages in terms of movement, speaking and cognitive skills.

Without allowing your baby to develop Fine Motor skills (picking things up, using the hands etc) or Gross Motor Skills (physical movement, crawling etc), he/she may be unable to carry out a specific task. As a result, your baby will become frustrated and will respond to the failure in a particular way. Parents can describe this stage as the "terrible twos" in that your child wishes to fulfil a task but is unable to. (Australian Institute of Learning)

Maria Montessori claimed that the two- year-old is at the stage of learning self-control and reason. Personality is starting to form, so children tend to be changeable and erratic in behaviour. They undergo trial and error, similar to the time of learning to walk. If children fall while walking, parents are understanding. When they are developing 'will' (choosing their actions), parents need to be sympathetic to any 'stumbles' rather than being severe with them. By three years of age, this confusing stage will pass.

The Australian Institute of Learning describes how children who don't speak as well as other children, but can ran faster and climb better than them (high Gross Motor Skills), will hit, bite, scream or throw tantrums when frustrated. Skills tension occurs because abilities are lacking and anger evolves. However, if children have excellent speech but poor Gross Motor skills, they'll tend to speak under water, especially when stressed. Children don't take breaths and lack the ability to move around well. Later on; to compensate for this lack, they'll simply talk too much.

Toddlers who are highly independent and able to help themselves, may be less efficient in other skill areas. For example, they'll grab a chair that's quite heavy just so they can reach a particular object of interest. If toddlers want a drink, they'll open the fridge, reach for the container of juice and the lid will fall off. They're not skilled in pouring liquid into a cup or glass, so they'll make a great mess on the floor. These independent toddlers might not speak as early as other toddlers because they don't need to talk. Why learn to ask for something when they can try to get something for themselves?

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