One Year Olds
Children grow and change so rapidly from birth to age one, it is difficult to describe them. By age one, most children:
- Identify and react to others’ emotions
- Play games like pattycake and peek-a-boo
- Sit up without support
- Imitate sounds
- Recognize their name
- Wave bye bye
- Crawl
- Might walk
- Have no sense of caution
- Pull themselves to a standing position
- Feed themselves small pieces of food
- Show interest in other children
Two Year Olds
Two year olds are struggling to be independent, yet they are still very dependent. General traits of a two year old:
- Asserts independence
- Demands attention
- Favourite word…NO!
- Has tantrums
- Hits and bites
- Easily distracted
- Self-centred and possessive
- Needs help dressing and undressing
- Affectionate
- Might develop fears
- Constantly on the go
- Can jump
- Can throw a ball
- Learns many new words
- Adorable, although for some, this is only when they sleep!
Three Year Olds
Children want to please their parents, particularly from around age three and a half to puberty. General traits of a three year old:
- Still say no a lot, but are more cooperative
- Favourite word is WHY?
- Attention span is increasing
- Begins to play with other children
- Active imagination
- Can repeat short nursery rhymes and understand simple stories
- Speaks in short sentences
- Learning to share and wait for their turn
- Imitates others
- Very active
- Needs help in dressing
- Can wash and dry hands and face
While two year olds are at one of the cutest stages, they can be a real trial to live with. This is the age of transition between infancy and childhood.
Three year olds are learning to do more things for themselves. They want to please their parents. It is critical they be able to please you.
If you are too difficult to please, they give up and become rebellious or withdrawn.
Four Year Olds
General traits of a four year old:
- Able to express themselves in words, complete sentences and conversations
- Asks constant questions
- Very imaginative
- Recognizes colours
- Can match sizes, shapes and colours
- Plays well with other children
- Bosses and criticizes others
- May be afraid of the dark, thunder and animals
- Enjoys playing with puppets, dolls, dress-up and cars
- Learning right from left
- Likes physical activity
- Can go up and down a short ladder
- Throws balls overhand
- Balance is good
- Can dress alone, manage buttons and shoelaces
- Able to cut with scissors
- Begins to form letters, sometimes backwards
Four year olds are easier to manage than twos and threes, unless you have become locked into a power struggle.
Five Year Olds
General traits of a five year old:
- Can speak clearly
- Memory improving
- Attention span longer
- Generally cooperative and reliable
- Wants to help
- Counts well
- Can learn own phone number and address
- Plays cooperatively with friends
- Wants to fit in and feel accepted
- Curious
- Gaining self-control
- Sensitivity to others increasing
- Still has fears
- Can print own name
- Can retell stories and make up stories
- Has good balance and physical coordination
- Able to work with tools
- Beginning to tie shoelaces
Remember…these are just guidelines, children develop at their own pace.