The 2-year-old boy and girl

The changes that children undergo at 2 years of age are of utmost importance in various areas of development. At this age, diapers disappear because your little one will be more independent. Children are more possessive at this stage , and “it’s mine” will become one of their favorite words. In the same way, the baby feels the need to experience everything that surrounds him, so he feels the will to go up and down stairs, thus strengthening his small muscles.

THE RULES

Until now, your son has always been accepting the imposed rules without any problem , and he was even very cooperative when faced with your demands. However, once he is two years old, words like “no” and “just me” appear in his speech, as well as crying and tantrums that appear every time you oppose him about something. Do not be sad! This does not mean that your child is going to have a complicated personality or that you are educating him badly, as it is a normal stage of development, the first of a series of rebellious periods that your child will experience.

Thus, at 2 years of age the child experiences a great change, as he acquires greater autonomy and feels more need to investigate and does things without requiring the help of an adult, which in turn makes him face more prohibitions. Keep in mind that, to grow, your child needs to train his autonomy .

THE EMOTIONS

At this stage, your 2-year-old’s emotional intelligence increases , that is, they become increasingly familiar with their emotions and set out to express what they like and what they don’t, both with words and with body language. This expression of emotions is more noticeable outside than inside the home because he begins to better understand the difference between the “me” and the “other” through his relationship with his reference adults or his main caregivers. The fact that there are reactions such as impatience or imposition only with you, the parents, is a good sign, since it indicates that there is a positive attachment and healthy emotional development.

In this aspect, tantrums come into play , which, however uncomfortable they may be, play an important role in the emotional development of the 2-year-old. These will disappear as they grow and mature. Between 3 and 4 years of age, their frequency decreases and they begin to disappear. As parents, you must bear in mind that tantrums are a positive symptom and do not last forever. The fact that they exist is beneficial for your child.

You must bear in mind that the baby still does not know how to control his emotions . If the child loses control because he cannot bear to be contradicted, do not do the same, because you are an adult and you must know how to control the situation. Remember that in no way should you give in to their demands, and try not to reward them every time they do something right, because they will get used to receiving them for everything they do. This is the time to set limits wisely and safely. The education you receive now will be vital to your future evolution.

FEEDING THE 2-YEAR-OLD

A 2-year-old will be able to eat almost everything in small portions, as long as you avoid certain foods that are spicy or stronger. Keep in mind that the child needs about 1,300 kcal / day , 30-40 grams of protein, 130-180 grams of carbohydrates and about 45-55 grams of fat per day. In addition, at this stage he is old enough to eat alone with his own cutlery and be seated at the table with the rest of the family.

As for food , carbohydrates should provide an energy intake of 55 to 60% of the total calories ingested, fats are 30% of the total and protein needs should constitute 12 to 15%. At least a 50% proportion of animal proteins must be respected to ensure a sufficient supply of essential amino acids. Keep in mind that you should not eat as often as before, so it is time to reduce your meals to 5 a day: breakfast, lunch, lunch, snack and dinner, the first being the most important of the day.

The child must acquire good eating habits from the beginning, so a balanced and varied diet that includes all the food groups is ideal. If the child does not want to eat, it is not necessary to offer him alternative foods because we will be getting used to the fact that we have to put whatever he wants on the table. For this reason, remove the plate from him and do not let him pick between meals, as it will take away his appetite.

LANGUAGE AT 2 YEARS

At two years of age, the baby will be and will feel able to speak many and varied words and will have a vocabulary of up to 50 words . To demonstrate this, they will sing entire songs, recognize basic colors, and try to count to at least five. The alphabet will fascinate you. Likewise, they will know how to say his name perfectly and will tell his parents everything he does in the nursery. They will also answer questions and speak with great enthusiasm.

As a general rule, boys start speaking later than girls , although this variation tends to appear at preschool age. Thus, at two years of age, there is more variation in language development than in any other area, although this development depends on the abilities of the child . There will be some preschoolers who develop language skills at a steady rate, while others seem to be fluent in words. Do not worry if your child is in the second case, as this does not mean that children with the more developed verbal range are more intelligent or more advanced than the quieter ones.

It can help you enrich your vocabulary and language skills you can make reading as part of your daily routine . At this age, he will be able to follow the story line and will understand and remember many ideas and information that are presented in books. Do not forget that the books you read should be short, because it will be difficult for him to sit for a long period of time, the books you read should be short.