{"id":49479,"date":"2018-10-07T23:57:57","date_gmt":"2018-10-07T23:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/your-toddler-19-months-old\/"},"modified":"2018-10-07T23:57:57","modified_gmt":"2018-10-07T23:57:57","slug":"your-toddler-19-months-old","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/de\/your-toddler-19-months-old\/","title":{"rendered":"Your toddler: 19 months old"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"EBIKES\"<\/a><\/div>
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\n Photography by Nicole Duplantis\/Clothing provided by babyGap <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Your toddler is now officially closer to two than one, with all the cool milestones, new words, goofy energy and hardcore devotion to favourite stuff to prove it. There are days when they can make your emotions swerve all over the place, hour to hour or even minute to minute: You\u2019re so proud of all their mad new skills, impressed by how you can practically see all the connections forming in their brain and frustrated by how to deal with such an intense little personality. Fortunately, your toddler is also likely to make you crack up<\/strong> by busting out a killer dance move or give you a sticky kiss and cuddle at just the right time. You do you, kiddo.<\/p>\n

19-month-old development & milestones<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Language skills
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\"Dad
\nStudy: Reading aloud to toddlers can make them less hyper as schoolagers<\/span>
\nAt 19 months, your babe will continue to fine-tune all the amazing new milestones<\/strong> they\u2019ve been working on. One of these days, you\u2019ll notice a huge jump in language skills. They will start to be able to understand two-step sentences like \u201cPlease get the truck and bring it here\u201d (whether or not they listen to that request is entirely up to your toddler!) and will soon understand up to 10 times as many words as they say. Their literacy skills will begin to build<\/strong>, too, as your toddler pretends to read to dolls and stuffed animals, name familiar pictures or fill in easy words (we bet you<\/em> can recite certain books by heart after reading them 6,489 times).<\/p>

\"USA<\/a><\/div>
\"USA<\/a><\/div>\n

From walking to running<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Get ready for the toddler workout<\/strong>: About six months after they\u2019ve learned to walk, toddlers start to run, and then climb and dance\u2026 That means you will, too! They will also begin to use the small muscles in their hands with more control, leading to everything from using a paintbrush and stacking blocks to throwing a ball and turning the pages of a board book one at a time. Break out the sand and water toys, too, as your little will become super interested in pouring, measuring and dumping over and over again. Now where did you put all those old towels?<\/p>\n

Indie personalities<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Around this time, toddlers are figuring out the big world around them and starting to see themselves as individuals, not part of mom and dad. This means that they\u2019ll want to see and touch just about everything, so give them safe places to explore and gain confidence. And though you\u2019ve babyproofed your place<\/strong>, you can\u2019t turn your house into a foam rubber palace, no matter how much your toddler would think it was the bomb. Instead, redirect them away from whatever isn\u2019t safe\u2014if they\u2019re heading for the lamp cord yet again, say \u201cLet\u2019s knock over the stacking cups\u201d (rinse and repeat).<\/p>\n

The daddy phase<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another way that the whole separate-person thing shows up is in a new intense preference for dad. The daddy phase can kick in<\/strong> when your toddler begins to realize that there are other people in the world around them, not just their primary caregiver (which is often mama at this age), so dada becomes this way-cool dude. Not surprisingly, this can make mom feel sad and rejected (or, you know, #sorrynotsorry for the chance to take a long bath). Don\u2019t fight it; instead, be patient and try some tickling, jokes or cuddling games to help natural oxytocin (aka \u201cthe love drug\u201d) keep your bond strong.<\/p>\n

Bedtime protests<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Toddlers need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep each day, including naptime. Not wanting to head to bed is pretty common\u2014after all, toddler life is so freakin\u2019 busy and interesting\u2014but a soothing, consistent bedtime routine<\/strong> with a bath, book and well-worn lovey will help them wind down. They should also be sleeping through the night or able to self-soothe when they do wake up. To help them learn how to self-soothe (so that you\u2019re not the one who is up several times a night to give a back rub or get a drink of water!), talk about cuddling a stuffie, stroking a blankie or humming to themselves.<\/p>\n

Feeding issues
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\"toddler
\n8 healthy snacks toddlers will love<\/span>
\nLike sleep, food can be a power struggle, and that\u2019s not how you want to spend your time. Your job is to provide a mix of healthy foods and snacks<\/strong> and decide when and where to eat, and your toddler\u2019s job is to decide how much they will eat (if at all\u2014food is also for smearing into hair, you know). Portions can be confusing, too, but here are some ideas.<\/p>\n

Breakfast: \u2153 cup cereal, \u00bd cup homogenized milk, \u00bc cup cut-up fruit
Snack: \u00bc cup yogurt
Lunch: \u00bc cup grated veggies, \u00bc pita sliced up, 1 egg, \u00bd cup homogenized milk
Snack: \u00bd slice bread with melted cheese
Dinner: \u00bc cup pasta, \u00bc cup tomato sauce, 1 oz chicken cut up, \u00bd cup homogenized milk<\/p>\n

Interacting with other toddlers can be, well , \u201chands on\u201d at this stage, too. Toddler brains are not yet wired for sharing, empathy and taking turns<\/strong> because they\u2019re both living in the moment and super-protective of \u201ctheir\u201d foam block pieces. That can mean biting, hitting and other aggressive stuff, which is normal but not something you can ignore. Instead, draw on all the patience you have and respond to the chomp or whack immediately by saying no, then turn your attention to the other kid so your toddler knows that this isn\u2019t a good way to seek attention or get their way. Then take your warrior to the sidelines<\/strong> for a bit and tell them they can go back to the fun when they\u2019re ready to play again without hurting people.<\/p>\n

Your life after baby<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Do you discipline other people\u2019s kids?<\/strong>
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No doubt about it, dealing with your own misbehaving child<\/strong> is tough. An even tougher call: What do you do when someone else\u2019s kid is the playground outlaw? Would you say something if the behaviour is dangerous or just annoying, like hogging the monkey bars? How about if it\u2019s a kid who is a total stranger<\/strong> rather than a family you know from the neighbourhood? The next time things get a little slow at your playgroup, toss this hot topic out for debate and get ready to duck.<\/p>\n

Finding (and keeping) a sitter<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ready for some child-free time out of the house? Awesome! Finding\u2014and keeping\u2014an equally awesome sitter<\/strong> sometimes requires a little more strategy and planning than just hiring the nearest neighbourhood teenager, though (remember reading the Babysitters Club<\/em> series?). Points to consider to make your family A-list in the world of babysitters: Pay well, be considerate and never, ever steal a sitter from another family\u2014that\u2019s just bad karma. Keep your kid\u2019s personality in mind, too: Do you need someone who is super-energetic to keep up with your daredevil or one with a more mellow, nurturing vibe?<\/p>\n

Stuff no one tells you<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Private parts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Starting with the ultrasound and then through a gazillion diaper changes, you have seen your toddler\u2019s genitals more times than you can count, right? And sometimes they just want to show them off to the whole wide world. Yes, that\u2019s your kid yelling \u201cFront bum!\u201d<\/strong> at the pool. It\u2019s totally normal for kids to be curious about the human body, whether it\u2019s theirs or someone else\u2019s. Being straightforward right from the start is the best approach. This means that, starting from when your kid can talk (or even before), you should use words like \u201cvagina,\u201d \u201cvulva\u201d and \u201cpenis\u201d rather than cute nicknames so that they can tell you or a healthcare provider if there\u2019s an issue. You can also teach your toddler that there are private areas<\/strong> and no one can touch their nipples, genitals, bum or mouth without their permission (clarifying, of course, that baths, diaper changes and doctor visits are fine), and explain that they shouldn\u2019t be touching other people\u2019s private parts either.<\/p>\n

Just for fun<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Toy envy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

All right, admit it: There are some of your kid\u2019s toys that you love even more than they do. There\u2019s just something about the totally cute play kitchen<\/strong>, the teeny tiny sushi kit or the retro toy from your own childhood that you finally get to play with. Go on, we won\u2019t tell if a few of those toys are actually for you.<\/p>\n

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Read more:
Your toddler: 20 months old
How to design a sweet multi-functional toddler room<\/strong><\/p>\n

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