How does a baby develop at 18-24 months?

A one and a half year old child is already truly independent, as he likes to learn every single household chore from his parents, and he will “do” them himself if he finds the right tools. That is why it is important to help him with this rudimentary, simple, but very expressive way of role-playing by providing him with accessible, safe objects. 

However, he doesn't just like to work, he helps with dressing, washes his tummy during bath time, and covers his daddy when he falls asleep in the armchair. All toddlers have very cute habits at this age too. 

But let's see what other areas we can mention besides these that are also more significant in terms of development!

He sees colors, space, and fine distances well.

The child's vision has reached a level where it guides and motivates exploration itself. Being able to perceive depth, distances, and accurately reach for objects 35 cm away has broadened the possibilities for movement and further learning. If your child also loves to draw and doodle, it's good to know that leaving a mark is a basic human desire and motivation.

An important part of this creation is to let the child develop. At the age of one and a half, he will start to dot with the support of the pencil, draw lines using both hands, and then create swirls and spirals. To do this, we can provide him with thicker colored pencils, crayons for babies, washable chalks, or a homemade sponge dipping toy with beetroot juice. And don't forget to put his creations on display on the fridge or on the wall so that he can admire them with pride!

When can vision be a problem?

There are several unusual things that you may notice that you should definitely see an eye specialist for! For example, if you see that your child is starting to bump into furniture more and more often while walking or falls, you may think that there may be a problem with his or her vision. It can also be a warning sign if he or she is looking at books or other toys too closely .

Source: Grafoselfie, graphologist Magdolna Szabó

What is auditory attention?

We also call auditory attention the information that reaches the child through the channel through which he hears them. He can differentiate, identify, and interpret sounds. He can filter out the voice of an adult speaking to him even in greater noise. He recognizes sounds coming from different directions, even from behind. The development of auditory attention has become particularly important for today's children.

Children always begin to understand speech sooner than they begin to learn and pronounce words. They love the world being loud, and all kinds of noise sources immediately attract their attention. If we want to exploit this interest in the most pleasant and musical way, we should choose properly tuned instruments as “noise sources”, such as flutes, pianos, snare drums, and xylophones. This way, the child’s musical ear will also develop, and he will be able to hear really beautiful tinkling sounds from each instrument, which will even lay the foundation for his future interest in music.

Hearing problems can also occur. If you notice that your child is not paying attention to their name or to unusual noises, you should see a specialist to have their hearing tested. It is more difficult to notice when they cannot distinguish between sounds properly. For example, if they confuse objects that may have similar sounds, you should take this problem seriously.

Source: Csimboraszó Health Center , Early Childhood Program

The child's gait continues to develop

He takes bigger and faster steps, while we see that he no longer balances with his arms held high, but has alternating arm-leg movements , so his right arm and leg move simultaneously, then his left. At the age of 2, he no longer stomps his feet on the ground at the same time, but rolls them, first by touching them with his heel. He can now walk on different surfaces, on slopes, or on terrain dotted with obstacles, which he often steps over rather than avoids. When climbing stairs, by the age of 2, he can walk independently, holding on with one hand, placing one foot next to the other. 

He starts running and jumping, and these movements require good leg strength. In both cases, he has to rise into the air, so his balancing ability is also actively involved in the movements. 

Be careful of your child's surroundings, as they can easily fall. Make sure they have a safe area where they can run and jump!

Fine motor skills are based on concentration. A one and a half year old child is already scribbling, building, unpacking, and putting toys into containers. Shape-inserting toys are very popular, they develop the child's fine movements well during insertion. Wooden blocks are considered basic toys, with them they can experience the joy of building. And plasticine is one of the most wonderful tools, because it develops eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, creativity, and muscles. 

We are entering the “What is this?” era. 

This exciting period is led by the child's realization that everything has a name. Driven by curiosity and a desire to know, he asks everything: What is this?

He can memorize the names of things so quickly that it is often enough to tell him once. A vocabulary explosion occurs, the many new names are stored in his passive vocabulary and accumulate there, then they appear unexpectedly in his speech. At this age, he creates his first two-word sentence: “Mom is sitting.” He already understands speech and fulfills requests. 

What are the most important skills in the area of ​​socialization? 

• Initiates conversation and play with 2-word sentences
• He happily imitates housework, role-playing appears
• Compassion and the desire for comfort appear
• Begins to understand family rules and the consequences of breaking them
• Insists on independent actions
• Actively participates and helps when getting dressed

Where are you at in self-service at this stage?

He tries to become independent by observing what adults do and imitating them. There are countless things he can learn based on his interests, some of which we will mention:

• Indicates when the diaper needs to be changed
• Chews even chunks of food
• Enjoys eating independently, with a small spoon
• Tries to take off clothes on his own

What toys do we recommend for the child?

Since he really likes to imitate mom and dad in housework, give him safe tools with which he can act out what he has seen. For example, if he is interested in cooking, a small pot and a small wooden spoon can be a long-lasting activity for him. To make it exciting, we can put a little sugar or semolina in the pot, which he can stir. We keep an eye on him, not only because of the spillage, but also so that he doesn't eat the "cooked" lunch in the meantime!

Books and picture magazines help your child recognize things they've already seen in space. If you tell them a story, you can give them some really intimate moments, attention, and time spent together.

Building a tower is an important step in development, so be sure to provide him with blocks, which can be made of wood or even foam. Puzzles can also be a novelty, so choose versions with a few pieces that are suitable for the smallest. 

We can play role-play with the child. We can cook, we can sweep. We can give him a small bucket in which he can put pebbles in the yard or shovel sand and drag it around as he pleases, otherwise in a targeted and planned way. 

Source: Early Childhood Program

You may have previously read a summary article about baby development month by month . If you haven't discovered it yet, we recommend you check it out! We present the stages of baby development in detail in several of our blog articles, highlighting the abilities of vision, hearing, movement, communication, socialization and learning.