The Mover: Your Pre-Toddler, 10 - 20 Months

Always moving, always climbing, always, always busy. Your delightful, cuddly companion has become a hectic mass of energy — so demanding, but so full of wonder and enjoyment in life and learning.

A wise and tired mother of three once said: "The terrible twos are really the two years between your child's first birthday and third birthday."

Your pre-toddler will begin to want to do things for himself/herself, even when he/she can't. Watch your child carefully, sometimes naughtiness is frustration and emerging independence hidden behind the wild behavior. Distraction with another activity or gentle firm assistance is sometimes all that is necessary to turn your pre-toddler into a cooperative eager person again. Here are some activities to try:Here are some activities to try:

Read books with simple, everyday, colorful pictures. Use a few familiar books over and over so your child can learn the story.
Change the rules of games and the stories in hard books so they are simple enough for your pre-toddler to enjoy
Use "board books" so that your pre-toddler can hold and enjoy them, without the fear of damage.
Repeat a new word over and over and use gestures to help your child build his/her listening and understanding.
Learning bye-bye waves and kisses are fun for everyone.
Watch for your child's own hand-words, like pointing to a refrigerator when hungry.
Bang on pots to make music; dance to your songs. Your pre-toddler loves movement and noise.
Sing in the car, too. Treat yourself and share your favorite songs with your child. Your pre-toddler doesn't love only nursery rhymes.
Your busy, busy, busy child loves to experiment, touch, and make "messes." Help meet that desire on your terms: finger paint with pudding on a cookie sheet; play with shaving cream in the bathtub; put a plastic table cloth on the floor, then play with play-dough or eat a popsicle with fingers.
Your pre-toddler will have some "words." These words might not sound the way our words do, but praise your child and enjoy this sign of early learning and achievement — even if your pre-toddler's favorite words are "no, more, mine."
Make animal noises when you read animal books. Pretend to be animals by making noises and crawling together.
Water is fascinating to your pre-toddler. Bathtub play with plastic cups and scoops will delight and amuse your child. You must always be there to watch, no matter how little water is in the tub.

It's never too early to read with your child...

Board books —

Baby Talk by Anne Miranda
Baby's First Words by Lars Wik
Doggies by Sandra Boynton
Max's New Suit by Rosemary Wells
The Real Mother Goose published by Rand McNally
Two New Sneakers by Nancy Tafuri
Where We Sleep by Nancy Tafuri
Eye Winker, Tom Tinker, Chin Chopper: 50 Musical Fingerplays by Tom Glazer
Holes and Peeks by Ann Jonas

Go to the next child development page: The Builder