© goodheart-willcox co., inc. 15 providing for the toddler’s developmental needs

© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

15Providing for the Toddler’s

Developmental Needs


Providing for Toddlers’ Food Needs

• Food intake should always meet nutritional needs

• They eat less food than infants or adults

• Foods high in calories and low in nutrients should be avoided– eating too much of these empty calorie

foods may cause too much weight gain now or in the future

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Providing for Toddlers’ Food Needs

• Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by the body’s immune system– most common foods include milk, eggs,

peanuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, soybeans, tree nuts

• food labels are required to list these ingredients

• Registered dietitian has special training in nutrition and diet and meets the qualifications of the ADA


Meeting Nutritional Needs of Older Toddlers

• MyPlate food guidance system– developed by USDA– designed for people two years and older

• create personalized eating plan based on age, sex, activity level (www.ChooseMyPlate.gov/)

– five major food groups• grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein foods• oils (not a food group) included, but eaten in

limited amounts

• Smaller serving sizes for older toddlers


Clothing

• Should allow toddlers to stay active, comfortable, safe

• Should withstand constant movement and messy play

• Sizing is not consistent– s-m-l or 18 mo. or 1T – most accurate is weight/height ranges

• Self-dressing features (toilet learning)– elastic-waist pants, shorts


Important Features in Toddler Clothes

Growthfeatures

Safety Comfort

Easy care

Qualityconstruction


Rest and Sleep

• Sleep fewer hours and take less naps than babies

• Sleep needs vary– more when ill– less when stress is occurring

• More likely to resist sleep– struggle for autonomy

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Rest and Sleep

– set a bedtime ritual (routine)

• one hour a night• only restful activities• naptime rituals can

also be helpful

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Hygiene

• Bathing is one of the most important aspects of hygiene for toddlers

• Should not be left alone when bathing

• May want to bathe themselves


Toilet Learning

• Toilet learning is the process by which adults help children control their excretory systems

• Timing varies from toddler to toddler

• Many toddlers do not complete the process quickly


When the Toddler Is Ready

• Child-sized toilet, potty chair, or toilet ring should be used– step stool can help

with full-sized toilets

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When the Toddler Is Ready

• Let toddler see toilet before using– may want to sit on it with clothes on

• Bathroom should be lit– night-light– easy-to-reach light switches

• Clothes should be easy to manage– warm weather clothing is easier


Language Activities

• Adults can enhance the toddler’s use of language

• Early childhood programs that allow for play and exploration help language learning

• Parents can organize their homes to promote language learning


Toddlers Need to Hear Language

• Adults should talk to toddler’s during daily routines, games

• Adults can begin talking in a conversational manner before child can respond verbally

• Adults should use all types of sentences as they talk to toddlers

• Adults can help toddlers learn to make different sounds


Clear and Simple Speech

• Speech should be clear and simple– match sentences to child’s level– do not talk beneath child’s level – model language, but be relaxed about

child’s language errors

• Adults can expand on child’s sentences• Children will learn what they hear and

will repeat it


Choosing Books for Toddlers

• Reading books and saying rhymes helps toddlers develop language

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Choosing Books for Toddlers

• Pictures must be colorful and simple• Storylines should focus on toddlers’

favorite subjects• Books should be durable• Pages should be easy to turn and

keep open


How Toddlers “Read”

• Will not sit still and look at books for a long time

• Tend to glance at a page and then turn to the next

• May look at pictures and not listen to the entire story

• Adults can name objects in the book and point, then ask toddler to point


Reading to Toddlers

• May insist on hearing same story over and over– routines (especially

at bedtime) help feelings of security

– comforting presence of adult adds security


Singing with Toddlers

• Songs that act out the meanings of words are helpful to toddlers

• Adults and children can make up words to mileage tunes


Discipline

• Toddlers lack self-restraint (they cannot always control themselves)

• Do not always know the rules of acceptable behavior

• Parents are in Galinsky’s authority stage of parenting

• Toddlers must have limits to help them learn socially acceptable behavior


Balancing Self-Assertion and Obedience

• Self-assertion is doing as one chooses rather than what others want

• Obedience is acting within the limits set by others

• Meet toddlers needs, not punish what they do wrong– each toddler has his or her own unique

needs, but some needs are common

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Balancing Self-Assertion and Obedience

Need tofeel loved

Need consistencyin discipline

Need understanding

and patientguidance

Needrespect

Want tofeel lovable


Developmental Delays

• Infant development is generally measured through gross-motor skills

• During toddler years, fine-motor skills and language become more important in indicating healthy development

© goodheart-willcox co., inc. 15 providing for the toddler’s developmental needs

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