Developmental milestones for your baby - 31months

Your toddler is 31 months old! As with every age, 31-month-olds may differ quite a lot in growth and size. The best thing to do is check with your paediatrician whether he is following an upward growth path curve. 

Here is what to expect at this age. 

• Saying no: The newfound word ‘No’ seems to be the favourite with your munchkin. She will try to use it for almost everything. Try not to ask questions with yes or no answers. Instead, give them 2 choices and let them pick. 

• Tantrums: While whining and tantrums are much less as your baby grows, it still shows up now and then. Be patient, encourage your child to put his frustrations into words rather than cry. Teach him that when he feels cranky, he should check if he feels hungry, thirsty or sleepy. He may not be able to figure it out at first but will slowly get there. 

• Regression: When There may be phases when your little one regresses in certain skills (potty training or thumb- sucking), may ask to go home or just be resistant to changes. Spend some one on one time and provide comfort to your kid. 

• Imaginary friends: Many kids this age will have an imaginary friend they keep talking to. This is completely normal, providing companionship, serving as an alter ego who can act as a conscience or a scapegoat when things get hairy. Ensure your little one doesn’t use the imaginary friend to escape difficult situations. 

• Shyness: Shyness may be part of your little one’s personality or maybe a passing phase. Either way, don’t admonish her for it. Help her ease into situations. 

• Speech: Your little fry probably has a vocabulary of 150 to 250 words and maybe speaking 2 to 3-word sentences. Grammar will still be imperfect though. Keep talking and reading to him and he will get it right. At 31 months, if your child is still not talking or is significantly lagging behind in speech, do not delay a visit to a speech therapist. 

• Potty training: While many 31-month-olds may have been fully potty trained by now, others might still be in the process of it. Patience is the key to encourage your child to stay on track. 

• Teething: Your bundle of joy is probably cutting his second molars. And it can be quite painful. So be patient with those tantrums mummy. This too shall pass. 

• Sleep: Most 2-year-olds need around 13 to 14 hours of sleep every day. Every child is different though and your baby may need more or less also. Some may give up on their nap around this time. Try putting them to bed earlier as sleep is extremely important for growth and development. Some kids may resist sleep around this age. Have a consistent bedtime routine to help develop healthy sleep habits. Put her to bed before she is overworked and tired, which can lead to tantrums and delay sleep even more. 

• Food: It's normal for your child to ask for a second helping of a particular dish one day and refuse to eat it the next day. Continue to offer a variety of healthy options and let her make her choice. Offer three meals plus two snacks with healthy options daily.  Eat meals with your child and let your child decide how much he wants to eat. Force-feeding will only develop an aversion to food. Serve them small portions and don’t insist on cleaning the plate. Fat should account for less than 30 percent of your toddler's daily calories. Be careful with fruit juices as they are high in calories. While fresh fruit juices are good in moderation, filling up on them can cause unhealthy weight gain and malnourishment. 

31-month-olds love to engage in pretend plays, good for honing their creativity and imagination. Take them out with a simple bat and ball or a racquet to have hours of fun with sports. On cold or wet days, put on some music and dance along with them!

Stay Tuned! Stay Relevant!