2-Year-Old: Milestones, Activities, Gear, Dad Tips, & More
Those two’s have arrived and they’re not as terrible as some parents proclaim.
Your child’s overall growth and skill set is slowing down, compared to the previous couple of years, but their cognition is developing rapidly. They can now reliably begin to do more advanced self care skills and even help out around the house too.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to 2-year milestones, self-care skills, activities to do with your child, toys and gear, and ways to master being a dad.
2-Year-Old Milestones
Kicks a ball
Throws a ball overhand.
Walks up and down stairs while holding on to support
Stands on tippy toes
Can climb on and off couch and chairs without help
Can do simple puzzles
Block towers are 4 or more in height
Strings 2-3 words together
Knows familiar body parts
Transitioning from solitary play to parallel play (playing alongside or near others)
Shows autonomy by being defiant and not doing what she’s told to do
Physically explores how toys and other things work
Starts to sort colors and shapes
Follows two-step commands such as, “get your coat and bring it to dad.”
Self Care Skills
Feeding: Use utensils to feed themselves and may be able to eat independently with some assistance. Can use a napkin to wipe face and hands.
Dressing: Removes unfastened coat, can locate the arm holes in pullover shirts, and helps pull down pants,
Toileting: Regularly pees and knows the difference between pee and poop, naming them correctly.
Housework: Imitates parents working around the house and picks up and puts away toys with cues from caregivers.
Handwashing: Wash their hands with supervision
May be able to brush their teeth with supervision and may be able to do it themselves with some assistance.
Gets a tissue and blows their own nose.
Activities To Help Your Child Thrive
Draw a song. Choose one of your kid’s favorite songs and sit down with her to draw out the storyline. Use multiple sheets of paper (or a paper roll) to depict a scene from each verse. Take turns drawing characters or parts of the scene until the song is finished.
Body tracing. Have your child lay on the ground outside and trace their body with chalk. Then have them do the same to your body, right next to theirs. Get creative and add features to the body as you talk about body parts and purposes.
Bathtub swim lessons. Use tub time to teach your kid how to blow bubbles, embrace water on the face, and lay backward (“back float”). Tip: if they hate getting their hair rinsed because of fear of water getting in their eyes then have them hold a mirror in front of them as they look up to allow them to see the process.
Bottle bowling. Grab plastic bottles you have lying around the house, line them up, and start bowling. Use a ramp to help them get the hang of it then gradually work more on rolling without it.
Sleep
Consider moving your toddler to a toddler bed. Good indications that its time are when he’s 36 inches tall or when he starts to climb out of his crib.
Red Flags
It’s important to note that babies develop at different paces. If you’re not seeing these 2-year-old milestones then talk to your pediatrician.
Stuff
Toys (with a purpose)
Here are some toys recommended by an occupational therapist to help your 2-month-old’s development.
A bike. Look for a bike with 12” wheels which is appropriate for most kids ages 2-3 years old (who are between 2’10”-3’4”).
Raleigh Bikes Jazzi Kids Bike (12”, 20”)
Schwinn Koen & Elm Toddler and Kids Bike (12”, 14”, 16”, 18”)
A helmet: What to look for in a helmet:
Size. Measure your kid’s head circumference to determine the best size.
Weight. Lighter is better for kids.
Safety. Rest assured that all bike helmets sold in the U.S. have a CPSC safety certification. There is a new technology called MIPS (multi-directional impact protection) that many helmets now incorporate. It is a thin liner inside the helmet which allows 10-15mm of sliding rotation of the head in all directions to decrease the transfer of the motion to your brain. There's debate over how much, or even if, this added layer of safety works but with the number of brain injuries I've seen as an OT, the extra cost is worth it.
Giro Scamp MIPS Youth Recreational Cycling Helmet (circumference: 45-49cm and 49-53cm)
Bike fitting: Your kid is growing fast so make sure you know when and how to adjust their seat (a.k.a. saddle) height. This is a great quick guide from Prevelo and here is a more advanced guide from Two Wheeling Tots.
Gear (that you actually need)
A visual timer. Time is a very abstract and foreign concept, yet we talk to our kids in these terms without realizing it (wait a minute, bed in 5 minutes, in a few minutes we’ll….). Use a visual timer to make it more concrete. It doubles as an object of deflection from a behavioral perspective because you can blame the issue on the timer. Sorry bud, the timer went off so that means it’s time for bed (sounds like it wouldn’t work but it does).
Toddler bed. The time has come.
UV-protection long-sleeve shirt. Your kid can handle the warm weather now that’s he older but that likely means you’re at more of a risk of burning. I got a few of these shirts (with hoods) that I take with me to the beach or any other sunny places where I know I’ll be spending many hours there.
Dads
“Becoming a father, I think it inevitably changes your perspective of life. I don’t get nearly enough sleep. And the simplest things in life are completely satisfying. I find you don’t have to do as much. Like you don’t go on as many outings.”
– Hugh Jackson
Dad Focus
Zone 2 cardio. Our “zones” of activity are divided into 5 or 6 types depending on which system you go by. Zone 1 burns fat and consists of low activity like sitting or a slow walk and the highest zone burns carbs and creatine phosphate during a short, all-out sprint. Zone 2 cardio, for many, tends to be a slow run or a brisk walk and it primarily taps your fat stores with trends into carbohydrates. Zone 2 training is associated with improved health, cardiovascular function, mood, mitochondrial function, work capacity, and longevity.
You can tell if you’re in the second zone by using the “talk test.” Do any form of cardio (walking, biking, etc.) and you’ll know you’re in Zone 2 when you can have a conversation but you sound “breathy.” You can also use the MAF test which maxes to your Zone 2 heart rate at 180 minus your age (with some caveats).
The minimum effective dose is 150-180 minutes a week. To get the full benefit, each set of Zone 2 should be a minimum of 45 minutes long.
Zone 2 tends to be a slow jog or a faster walk. You can also use a reputable rucksack (or simply put weights in a durable backpack) to get that walking HR up more quickly). If you’ve never focused on Zone 2 cardio you might be surprised how little effort it is to get and stay there. The hardest part is the boredom so pare it with a good book, podcast, or show as you do it.
Read this for a deeper drive: The Minimum Effective Dose Of Zone 2 Training.
Dad Tips
Make a will. A will is an incredibly powerful too, especially as a parent, yet only 33% of Americans have one. One of the most important purposes of a will is to designate the legal guardian of your child(ren) if you and your spouse die. Another important aspect of the will, among others, involves the estate. If you don’t have a will in many states, your estate can be divided between your child(ren) and your surviving spouse which could cause financial concerns. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a will to get you started.
Learn how to do your daughter’s hair. If you’ve got a daughter (or a son with longer hair), it’s time to step up. Here is a good guide to 6 “Girl Hairstyles that Dads Can Do” and this is a great video tutorial under the Daddy Hairstyles YouTube channel that breaks some down.
Introduce your kids to breathwork. Use a video to teach them the basics of belly breathing or “balloon breathing.”
Practice green light, yellow light, red light. This “game” comes in handy especially if you have multiple children, live in the city, or if your kid is on the fast track to an ADD diagnosis. Practice it regularly at home and then implement it in real-world environments for their safety.
Resources
Article:
6 Things You Could Do Today to Start Being a Better Dad (Daily Dad)
Open a Roth IRA for Kids to Build Wealth and Save on Taxes (Financial Samurai)
Healthy Lunches (Mark’s Daily Apple)
Podcast Episode:
How to Use Breathwork to Lower Stress and Anxiety in Kids (The Better Behavior Show)
Two Techniques To Stop Tantrums In Their Tracks, From A Holistic Pediatrician (mindbodygreen). The second technique is interestingly very similar to the “get a that’s right” approach from Never Split the Difference.
Book:
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Enjoy this time with your 2-year-old, celebrate the milestones, and remember that you’ve got it good.
Got any suggestions that worked for you and your baby at this age? Leave them in the comment section.