Track your toddler's development from age 1 to 3 covering motor skills, language milestones, social development, feeding independence, potty readiness, screen time limits, and well-child visits.
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Motor Skills Timeline
Track walking progress — most children walk independently by 12-15 months
About 25% of babies walk by 12 months, 50% by 13 months, and 90% by 15 months. Late walking (after 18 months) warrants a pediatrician evaluation. Barefoot walking on safe surfaces helps develop foot muscles and balance.
Watch for climbing stairs with support by 18 months
Toddlers typically crawl up stairs first, then walk up holding a railing by 18-24 months. Going down stairs takes longer — most children master it by 2.5-3 years. Keep stair gates in place until the child can go up and down safely.
Encourage running, kicking a ball, and jumping by age 2
By 24 months, most toddlers can run (though not smoothly), kick a ball forward, and begin to jump with both feet. Provide 60+ minutes of active play daily. Outdoor play on varied terrain (grass, sand, hills) builds coordination faster than flat surfaces.
Practice fine motor skills with crayons, blocks, and stacking toys
By 15 months, a toddler can stack 2 blocks. By 24 months, a tower of 6-7 blocks is typical. Crayon grip progresses from a full fist to a modified tripod grip between ages 2-3. Offer thick crayons and large paper for early scribbling practice.
Language Milestones
Expect first words around 12 months and a vocabulary of 50 words by age 2
At 12 months, 1-3 words are typical. By 18 months, most children have 10-25 words. By 24 months, the average is 50 words with 2-word phrases like 'more milk' or 'daddy go.' Fewer than 50 words at age 2 may indicate a language delay.
Read aloud to your toddler for at least 15-20 minutes daily
Children who are read to daily hear about 290,000 more words per year than those who are not. Board books with simple pictures and repetitive text work best. Point to pictures and name objects — this builds vocabulary 2-3 times faster than passive listening.
Watch for 2-word phrases by 24 months and short sentences by 36 months
By age 2, toddlers should combine 2 words regularly. By age 3, most children speak in 3-4 word sentences, ask 'why' questions, and can be understood by strangers about 75% of the time. Consistent difficulty being understood at age 3 warrants a speech evaluation.
Request a speech evaluation if the child has fewer than 50 words at age 2
Early intervention speech therapy is free through state programs for children under 3. About 10-15% of 2-year-olds are 'late talkers.' Half catch up on their own by age 3, but therapy can prevent long-term delays in the other half.
Social and Emotional Development
Expect parallel play (playing alongside but not with other kids) from 12-24 months
True cooperative play doesn't begin until age 3-4. At 1-2 years, toddlers play near each other but independently. Arrange playdates with 1-2 children at a time — large groups overwhelm toddlers and lead to more conflicts.
Handle tantrums with calm redirection — they peak between 18-36 months
Tantrums are developmentally normal and average 1-2 per day at age 2. They happen because the toddler's emotions outpace their language skills. Stay calm, validate the feeling ('You're angry'), and offer 2 choices to give them some control.
Teach basic empathy by naming emotions in yourself and others
Say things like 'That boy is crying because he's sad' or 'I feel happy when you share.' By age 2-3, most toddlers begin to show concern when others are upset. Books about feelings are a great tool — read them 3-4 times per week.
Practice taking turns and sharing starting around age 2
True sharing is difficult before age 3 because toddlers cannot yet understand another person's perspective. Use a timer to make turns concrete: 'You play with it for 2 minutes, then it's her turn.' This visual cue reduces fights by about 50%.
Feeding Independence
Transition to whole milk and table foods at 12 months
Switch from formula to whole milk (16-24 ounces per day max). Too much milk fills the toddler up and reduces appetite for solids. By 12 months, the child should be eating most of the same foods as the family, cut into small pieces.
Encourage self-feeding with a spoon and fork between 12-18 months
Expect mess — it takes until about age 2 for most children to use a spoon consistently without spilling. Offer a spoon with every meal starting at 12 months. Pre-loaded spoons (you scoop, they lift to mouth) bridge the gap.
Offer new foods at least 10-15 times before deciding the child dislikes them
Research shows it takes an average of 10-15 exposures for a toddler to accept a new food. Serve the new food alongside familiar favorites without pressure. About 25-35% of toddlers are described as picky eaters — most outgrow it by age 5.
Potty Readiness and Screen Time
Watch for potty readiness signs between 18-36 months
Signs include staying dry for 2+ hours, telling you when they have a wet or dirty diaper, interest in the toilet, and the ability to pull pants up and down. The average age for successful potty training is 27 months for girls and 29 months for boys.
Introduce a potty chair or seat adapter and let the child explore it
Place the potty in the bathroom 2-4 weeks before starting training. Let the child sit on it fully clothed, then without a diaper. Read potty-themed books together. Forcing training before readiness leads to resistance and can delay the process by months.
Limit screen time to 1 hour per day maximum for ages 2-5
The AAP recommends no screen time before 18 months (except video calls) and a 1-hour daily maximum for ages 2-5. Co-view with the child and talk about what you see. Studies show that every additional hour of daily screen time at age 2 is linked to lower language scores at age 3.
Well-Child Visits
Attend well-child visits at 12, 15, 18, 24, and 30 months
These visits include growth measurements, developmental screening, and vaccinations. The 18-month and 24-month visits include formal autism screening with the M-CHAT questionnaire. Write down your questions beforehand — visits average only 15-20 minutes.
Keep vaccinations on schedule through the toddler years
Between 12-36 months, your child will receive about 8-10 vaccine doses including MMR, varicella, hepatitis A, and the DTaP series. Ask about combining visits if you fall behind. The CDC schedule is designed for the earliest safe protection.
Schedule the first dental visit by age 1 or within 6 months of the first tooth
About 23% of children have a cavity by age 5. The first dental visit is short (15-20 minutes) and focuses on examining erupted teeth and teaching parents about brushing. Use a rice-grain-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste starting with the first tooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should a toddler start walking independently?
Most children take their first independent steps between 9-15 months, with the average being 12 months. However, some perfectly healthy children do not walk until 16-18 months. The CDC considers not walking by 18 months a developmental red flag worth discussing with your pediatrician. Before walking, most children cruise along furniture for 2-4 weeks. Walking barefoot on varied surfaces (carpet, grass, tile) strengthens foot muscles better than shoes.
How many words should a 2-year-old say?
By 24 months, most toddlers use 50 or more words and are beginning to combine two words ("more milk," "daddy go"). By 3 years, vocabulary typically explodes to 200-1,000 words with 3-4 word sentences. A toddler who uses fewer than 50 words by age 2 or no two-word combinations by age 2.5 is considered a "late talker." About 70-80% of late talkers catch up by age 3-4, but early speech therapy (free through your state's Early Intervention program before age 3) can speed that process significantly.
What are the signs of autism in toddlers?
Early signs include limited or no eye contact by 12 months, no babbling or pointing by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, loss of previously acquired language or social skills at any age, not responding to their name by 12 months, and limited interest in other children. The AAP recommends autism-specific screening at the 18-month and 24-month well-child visits using the M-CHAT-R. Early intervention before age 3 produces the best outcomes — children who receive therapy early show measurably stronger communication and social skills.
When should you worry about a toddler's behavior like tantrums and aggression?
Tantrums are a normal part of development from ages 1-4, peaking between 18-36 months. The average toddler has one tantrum per day lasting 1-5 minutes. Typical tantrums result from frustration, hunger, or tiredness and stop on their own. Contact your pediatrician if tantrums regularly last more than 15 minutes, happen more than 5 times per day, involve self-harm (head banging, biting themselves), do not improve after age 4, or are accompanied by persistent aggression toward others.
How much screen time should a toddler have per day?
The AAP recommends zero screen time for children under 18 months (except video calls with family), no more than 1 hour per day of high-quality programming for ages 18-24 months (co-viewed with a parent), and no more than 1 hour per day for ages 2-5. Studies show that children under 2 learn almost nothing from screens and that excessive screen time before age 3 is linked to language delays. When you do use screens, programs like Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger have been shown to produce measurable educational benefits.