toddlerhood

Baby-Child Milestones: 2 to 2.5 years old

When I checked my mailbox this morning, I received a baby-child milestones checklist from MumCentre. It is actually meant for a 2 to 2.5 years old toddler; Little Edison isn’t there yet.

Anyway, let’s see how he fares in this milestone checklist:

edison drinks from a cup 

Physically and mentally
• Brushes teeth – Nope, he still needs help
• Feeds himself – Nope, I still don’t allow him to self-feed. Can’t stand the mess!
• Plays easily with smaller toys e.g. stack small blocks more neatly – Yes! He can stack and sort by himself.
• Walks, hops and runs proficiently – Yes! He climbs everywhere too.
• Throws ball more confidently – Yes!

Language and emotions
• Names major body parts e.g. head, eyes, nose – Yes. He knows all these – eyes, hair, nose, mouth, head, neck, hand, finger, foot, leg, toes and tummy.
• Constructs two-word sentences – Nope. He doesn’t talk much yet.
• Prone to temper-tantrums and upsets as the world at large still seems a little strange – Oh yes, he throws tantrums for many reasons – some big, some small, some funny!
• Expresses discomfort with wet diaper – Not really, because he is mostly diaper-less.
• Knows words for urine and bowel movements e.g. “wee-wee” or “poo-poo” – Yes, he will tell us when he wants to “wee-wee”. For “poo-poo”, we normally get the cues from his facial expressions.

Sleep
At this age, children sleep for about 12 to 14 hours a day, usually taking only one afternoon nap. – Little Edison is a great sleeper. He sleeps 10-11 hours through the night and 2 hours of afternoon nap.

Ideal toys for this age
• Stacking and sorting toys
• Role-play toys e.g. toy kitchen, doll house, tool bench
• Plush toys
• Basic counting, alphabet and shape-matching toys
Yes, he has all these toys.

Useful tips
Your child is becoming increasingly mobile and independent. This is a perfect time to get your parents or in-laws to help while you have a well-deserved date with your partner!
Date with partner? Nope! I still prefer to be with my little Edison. 🙂

–

Edison – 18 months

Edison - 18 monthsMy little prince turns 18 months today. He has blossomed into a bundle of curiosity with a demanding mind of his own.

At this age, I would say the biggest reward to me is that he is able to call “mama” every time he sees me. He will hug and kiss me, although he is still a little bit shy.

He continually learns about this world by listening, looking, touching, tasting and smelling. He likes to find out how things work, i.e. turning on a music player or switch, open and close drawers, press buttons on mobile phone etc.

One of his mischievous acts was he switched off the mini fridge in Godpa’s room without anyone’s knowledge. Even my helper didn’t notice it! At the end, the ice melted into a pool of water in the room.

Little Edison always has a lovely surprise in store for us (be it good or bad!). When we ask him to do something, he may actually do it. He can understand a lot more than what we think.

Nowadays, he can even follow simple instructions like keeping his toys in his toy box after playing, throwing unwanted papers into the trash bin etc. But sometimes, he just refuses to accept the word “no” from me.

Edison - at the pool

His favorite activities include emptying and filling containers in paddling pool, scribbling with markers and pens, walking around the neighborhood and watching the stars and moon at night.

Everyday is a busy day for Edison.

I’m so glad to be able to witness his amazing development day by day.  🙂

 

A Fussy Eater

A toddler who refused to try a new food at least half of the time can be defined as a fussy eater. Unfortunately, little Edison is one of the member in this category. That is I’m always concerned about him not eating enough.

He is eating oatmeal and cereal for lunch and dinner. I find it quite unacceptable for an 18-months toddler to eat cereal, especially if it’s the same type of cereal which he has been eating since he was 8 months old. How weird! I wonder if he ever gets bored of eating that cereal.

(Is there any toddler who is still eating cereal, except my little Edison?)

Well, we tried cooking all sorts of new foods for him, i.e. porridge, noodles, mee sua and pasta. But he just refused to eat them.

In addition, I tried to make mealtime a family affair by allowing him to eat on the dining table with us. The result was awful! Or simply – beyond control! He rejects his own food and insists on eating our adult food.

image0081Today I made my second attempt to cook alphabets pasta with soup and egg for him. And I ended up eating my own pasta because he refused to eat again. I didn’t have a choice, but to feed him with cereal again.

🙁 Sigh. But never give up!

Dealing with a toddler who is a fussy eater isn’t fun or easy. I hope this mealtime battle will end pretty soon.

 

Outdoor Activities for the Active Toddlers

edison-garden

Little Edison is a little bundle of endless energy! He is on the move 24/7. His playfulness and activeness need a great deal of supervision. Chasing after him is an uphill task for me. If only I could bottle that energy.

He is an outdoor person. He enjoys himself tremendously outdoor. I don’t need a lot of games or toys to keep him occupied. Simply bring him to a playground or park where there is plenty of space for him to run around. You will see that instant glow in him.

I’ve planned a few outdoor activities for him. Top the lists are:

Playing with balls – He will enjoy kicking the ball around as well as catching them.

Riding a bike – Yes! We are going to teach little Edison to ride a tricycle soon.

Playing with sand – A fun activity that fosters creativity.

Flying kites – On a windy day, flying a kite is terrific. He will enjoy seeing his kite flying high in the sky.

Nature Walk – A great form of exercise. Smell the flowers, observe the insects and tell him what he see and hear in nature.

Outdoor activities can be very relaxing & enjoyable for the mothers too. Let’s get rid of those lazy bones in us and get it going to have some fun with your kids.

If you run out of ideas, I’ve something to share with you. I’ve found a wonderful list of kids’ activities in Singapore. It’s definitely a useful guide to plan for your weekend outings. Check it out HERE.

Enjoy!

 

Scribbles

Most toddlers will find scribbling a lot of fun. Little Edison is just one of them; he is fascinated with the whole scribbling experience. It all started with his Shichida monthly supplementary print sheets.

I’m supposed to read the instructions on the print sheet and demonstrate to him. Then, I’ll let him do it on his own. At this tender age of 17 months, he is not capable of doing it correctly. Nonetheless, our teacher assures me that it’s perfectly fine to let him scribble the way he wants.

The best tool to start off this scribbling activity is the Crayola Pip-Squeaks Markers. I like their easy-to-hold short barrels; perfect for our toddler’s little hands and fingers. Their washable ink is non-toxic and easily washed away from skin and most children’s clothings. I bought a set of 16 colors for just $10 at Robinsons.

These are little Edison’s masterpieces… 🙂

Scribbles 1

Scribbles 2

 

–