Developmental milestones record - 2 years
Growth milestones for children - 2 years; Normal childhood growth milestones - 2 years; Childhood growth milestones - 2 years
Information
Physical and motor skill markers:
- Able to turn a door knob.
- Can look through a book turning one page at a time.
- Can build a tower of 6 to 7 cubes.
- Can kick a ball without losing balance.
- Can pick up objects while standing, without losing balance. (This often occurs by 15 months. It is a cause for concern if not seen by 2 years.)
-
Can run with better
coordination
. (May still have a wide stance.)
Coordination
Uncoordinated movement is due to a muscle control problem that causes an inability to coordinate movements. It leads to a jerky, unsteady, to-and-fr...
- May be ready for toilet training.
- Should have the first 16 teeth, but the actual number of teeth can vary widely.
- At 24 months, will reach about half final adult height.
Sensory and cognitive markers:
- Able to put on simple clothes without help. (The child is often better at removing clothes than putting them on.)
- Able to communicate needs such as thirst, hunger, need to go to the bathroom.
- Can organize phrases of 2 to 3 words.
- Can understand 2-step command such as, "Give me the ball and then get your shoes."
-
Has increased
attention span
.
Attention span
Mental status testing is done to check a person's thinking ability, and to determine if any problems are getting better or worse. It is also called ...
- Vision is fully developed.
- Vocabulary has increased to about 50 to 300 words, but healthy children's vocabulary can vary widely.
Play recommendations:
- Allow the child to help around the house and take part in the daily family chores.
- Encourage active play and provide enough space for healthy physical activity.
- Encourage play that involves building and creativity.
- Provide safe copies of adult tools and equipment. Many children like to mimic activities such as cutting the grass or sweeping the floor.
- Read to the child.
- Try to avoid television watching at this age (recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics).
- Control both the content and quantity of television viewing. Limit screen time to less than 3 hours per day. One hour or less is better. Avoid programming with violent content. Redirect the child to reading or play activities.
- Control the type of games the child plays.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important milestones: your child at two years. www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-2yr.html . Accessed April 7, 2016.
Feigelman S. The second year. In: Kliegman RM, Stanton BF, St Geme JW, Schor NF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 11.
Reimschisel T. Global developmental delay and regression. In: Daroff RB, Jankovich J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, eds. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 8.
Review Date: 2/15/2016
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.