Thumb Sucking Is Very Common for Young Children

Thumb sucking is one way a young child comforts themself. If you suddenly stop your child from sucking their thumb or fingers, they may have trouble calming themself. Thumb sucking usually disappears on its own, especially if the child is not pressured to give it up.

Sometimes parents pull thumbs and fingers out of their young children’s mouths because they are worried about dental problems. There is little chance of a problem until the child’s permanent teeth erupt at 5 or 6 years of age. Even then, there may be no ill effects from thumb sucking every once in awhile.

If you are worried about your child’s thumb sucking, keep track of how often they suck and for how long. Take these notes for several days. This record will help you and your doctor or dentist discuss this and decide what to do.

What’s It like to Be 25–26 Months Old?

How I Understand

• I can match an object that is in my hand with a picture of the object.
• I can take turns when playing games.
• I know that there is a right way to do things. I am starting to compare my actions with the “right” way.
• I am starting to put easy puzzles (2 to 3 pieces) together.

 How I Grow

•  I need 3 small meals and 3 healthy snacks each day.
• I can use a crayon to make scribbles.
• I can use a cup and spoon. Forks may still be hard.
• I am starting to walk and run in straight lines.
• I can jump off the ground with both feet.

How I Feel

• I like routines —such as the story you read to me and the hug you give me every night at bedtime.
• I get upset when my routines are not followed.
• I feel good that I can do more things by myself.
• I am starting to treat children I know as my friends.
• I really like playing with other kids.
• I am better about being separated from you because now I know you’ll come back.
• I can get embarrassed.

How I Talk

•  I say “no” a lot. This shows my independence.
•  I like to hear rhymes, but it may be hard for me to say all the words with you.
•  I talk more clearly now. Other adults can understand what I say.
•  I am starting to use words for positions —like over, under, inside, and outside.
•  I am also starting to refer to myself as “I” and others as “you” or “him.”

Some children do things earlier or later than described here. Most differences are normal. Focus on what your child can do and get excited about each new skill. If you notice that your child is lagging behind in one or more areas for several months, use this list to talk with your doctor about your child’s development.

Prevent Cuts and Scrapes

Small children get minor cuts and scrapes often. These happen when children fall, run into things, or step on sharp objects.

• Put shoes on your child when they play outdoors.
• Close doors to rooms that are not safe and doors that go outside.
• Do not let your child play where there is sharp-edged furniture.
• Do not let your child play where they can climb to high places.

Praise Effort, but Don’t Punish Toileting Accidents

Most children become interested in learning to use the toilet on their own. A potty on the floor that the child can use themself helps them to get started. Give them lots of praise for trying and for every success.

Don’t scold for accidents. Praise efforts to use the toilet. Most children will stop dirtying before they stop wetting their diapers. Most will be able to stay dry during the day before they can stay dry at night. Many children cannot stay dry at night until they are about 3 years old.

Sometimes children seem to be toilet trained and then they start wetting or soiling again. This can happen when the children are upset about some- thing like a new baby in the family, pressure from adults to stay dry or family stress.

Be patient and caring, and praise successes. Sure, you’re eager to be rid of diapers, but if you don’t rush toilet training, there will probably be less stress on everyone. Don’t start toilet training until your toddler shows they want to use the toilet. Then it should go quickly and smoothly.

Toilet training should not be upsetting to parents or their children. If it is, wait a few weeks and try again.

Teach Colors with Homemade Circles

You will need:

• Sheet of cardboard
• Five sheets of different colored paper
• Pencil
• Drinking glass
• Scissors
• Child safe glue. Check the bottle to be sure it says nontoxic or child safe.

To make the game:

• Make circles by drawing around a water glass on the colored paper. Make two circles of each color of paper. You will have 5 pairs of circles, each pair a different color.
• Cut out all of the circles; stack them in two separate piles.
• Glue one set of circles to the cardboard.

How to play:

• Place the cardboard in front of your child on the floor, or at a table.
• One by one, give them different colored circles. Ask them to put each one on the same colored circle glued to the cardboard.
• Say the name of the color as your child puts each circle on the correct color.
• When all the circles have been matched, have your child pick up the circles one by one and hand them back to you. Ask them the color of each circle as they hand it back to you.

Beware of High Sugar Cereals

Has this happened to you yet? You are pushing your grocery cart down the aisle of the supermarket. All of a sudden, your toddler sees a certain brand of cereal. They begin calling out the name of the cereal. They want you to buy it. You are amazed. You’ve never bought this cereal, and they’ve never eaten it. How did they find out about it? They probably learned about it from television.

Toddlers don’t seem to pay much attention to television, but they are often aware of what is happening on the screen. Commercials are very appealing because of the action and the noise. The food most often advertised during children’s television programs is cereal. Some of these cereals are nutritious, others are not. In fact, some of these cereals have more sugar than cereal in them. They are more like candy than cereal.

How can you tell if a cereal is high in sugar? Look for the list of ingredients on the cereal box. They are listed in order of amounts. The first ingredient has the largest amount in the cereal. The last ingredient has the smallest amount in the cereal. If the first ingredient in the list is sugar, there is more sugar in the cereal than anything else. You will want to choose another cereal lower in sugar.

What do you tell your child when you decide not to buy the cereal? Say, “This is not a ‘good-for-you’ cereal. We want to buy a ‘good-for-you’ cereal to help you grow healthy and strong.” Check labels on other cereals and let them choose from the cereals that are low in sugar. If your child is unhappy because you aren’t going to buy the cereal they want, move away from the cereal display.

Go on and do the rest of your shopping. You can spend time reading cereal labels when you are shopping alone.

Teach Your Child New Words

Parents can help toddlers learn new words by:

• Repeating the names of things over and over again, using simple words and short sentences. Tell your child what you are doing and what your child is doing. Don’t use baby talk.
• Letting your child get things for you. Name what you want and ask your child to go to other rooms to find it.
• Going for walks and taking along a bag to collect leaves, rocks, flowers, and/or pieces of wood. When you get back home, look at these and name them.

You can play this learning game another way:

• Choose some things they might enjoy feeling, and put them in the bag. Examples would be a smooth rock, a rough rock, a piece of wood, a small stuffed animal, some pieces of cloth, a feather, and so on.
• Be sure the things you put in the bag are not sharp or dangerous.
• Close the top of the bag, leaving a hole just big enough for the child’s hand. Ask your toddler to reach in and find something.
• Ask your child to guess what they are touching – without looking or pulling it out of the bag. If they can’t figure it out let them peek.
• Ask them what they have found and help them learn to say, “I found a rock” or “I found a leaf.”
• You can take turns reaching in the bag and guessing what you’ve found.
• This is a good game for two or three to play together. Your toddler can help you change the game by putting different things in the bag.

Substitute Helpful Comments for Criticism and Put-Downs

We all want our children to grow up feeling they are capable and lovable. One of the trickiest and most important skills parents must learn is guiding their children in ways that control naughty behavior and help their children learn to do what’s right. This is hard to do when you are angry or upset because your child is causing a problem. It takes a lot of practice and patience at these times not to be critical or accusing.

Children who hear “put downs” can come to feel hopeless, and may stop trying to cooperate. When your child misbehaves, they needs “help-outs” instead of “put-downs.” “Help-outs” make them feel you love them and you know they can learn to do better. “Putdowns” do just the opposite.

Here are some “help-outs”:

•  Here’s a sponge. I’ll help you clean it up.
•  That’s hard to do. Let me do it with you.
• I’m proud of you for trying that. Hold it with both hands next time and it may not fall.
•  That is a dangerous thing to do. You could fall. Let me hold your hand.

Avoid “put-downs” like:

•  I knew that would happen if I let you do it alone.
• Can’t you do anything right?
• You’re being a brat.
• Why do you always drop things?
•  You never pick up your clothes.
• Won’t you ever learn?
• Can’t you see that’s dangerous?

Listen to yourself. Try to use “help-outs”—not “put-downs.”