How much can I expect my toddler to do for themself?
Between the ages of two and three toddlers become more independent by the day. But how much should your child be able to do for themselves at this age? Here are a few important milestones to bear in mind.
Moving around confidently and independently
According to Essie de Jager, a trained early-childhood teaching professional at Tjokkertuin Childcare Centre in Malmesbury, a healthy, well-adjusted two-year-old should have enough balance to walk and move around with confidence.
“Between 31 and 33 months, most children will be able to climb stairs one foot at a time while holding onto the railing, for instance”, she explains. They are also coordinated enough to hold a pencil or crayon to make some scribbles and could already show a preference for a certain hand. If you feel your child is not as confident as they should be in this area, make active play a priority. Play ball, hop around - get them moving. Children learn through play, so keep it light-hearted and fun.”
Feeding themselves with a single utensil
Not all children are great eaters – some love food and others need a lot of encouragement. However, around 31 months of age, Essie believes that most children should be able to feed themselves with a spoon or a fork, albeit rather messily.
“The coordinated use of a knife and fork is a way off at this point, but ideally you want your child to be able to feed themselves with a single utensil around 33 months. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not going to be a clean and civilised affair by a long shot, there will be lots of messes and a lot of the food you’re serving will end up on their faces or the floor. If your little one is lagging behind, try to encourage them with fun utensils; kids tend to be a lot more interested with it looks like a game.”
Take off and put on certain items of clothes
As a parent of a toddler, you may well be dreaming of the day when your child can get themselves ready in the morning. Although Essie emphasises that dressing is a highly coordinated activity, she says parents can already expect their toddlers to take care of certain ‘dressing chores’ with a bit of coaching at this age.
“Shoes and socks are normally the first items of clothing a toddler learns to put on and take off – depending on the type of shoes of course. Lace-up takkies are pretty difficult to master, but slip-ons and shoes with Velcro normally encourage toddlers to DIY the dressing procedure. Shirts present a bit of challenge until a later age – most children take a while to get the hang of putting it on the right way around – but underwear, tights and leggings can also be mastered in time with the right kind of encouragement.”
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