Nutritional Intake and Major Developmental Milestone in the Toddler Stage

The age group of 1-3 years or “toddlers” as they are referred to is an age group of children that go through an overall vast change. The toddler will steadily grow in height and weight as they continue to grow. “The average toddler weight gain 1.36 to 2.27 (3 to 5 lb) per year. Length/ height increases by an average of 7.62 cm (3 inches ) per year. ” (Carman S.R. K, 2019). Adequate nutrition is important as the toddler is weaning off breast milk to regular 3 meals every day. It is imperative that the parents establish and introduce healthy food choices early in life as this will influence their food choices as they grow older in life. An important aspect of the toddler diet is adequate calcium intake. “The toddler requires an average intake of 500 mg calcium per day” (Carman et al, 2019). The GI, GU, neurologic and musculoskeletal system all undergo important changes as the toddler develops.

The toddler generally should reach the major developmental milestone of bowel and bladder control by the end of the toddler period. The toddler will also exhibit improved muscle coordination and sphincter control as mentioned before. This physical development is a result of myelination of the brain and spinal cord. The younger toddler will also have a distinctive rounded pot belly appearance, but by the end of the toddler period the abdominal muscles will increase in strength and their abdomen will appear flatter. In beginning of the toddler period, the child will walk unsteadily and fall often, but “after about 6 months of practice walking, the toddlers’ gait is smoother and the feet are closer together” (Carman et al, 2019). The toddler’s language is also a developmental milestone that should be progressing rapidly. The vocabulary of the toddler will expand quickly and is highly reflective of the language or languages they have been exposed to. The caregiver or parent should engage in conversation and repetition of words with the toddler while performing daily routines to assist in their language development. The parent should read to the child every day while using motions and different movements as well as asking the toddler questions pertaining to the book they are reading. This is one of the best ways of improving cognitive and language development as well as assisting the child in getting ready to start school.

The 1-3-year-old will psychosocially be in Erikson’s stage of autonomy vs. shame and doubt. “The toddler is struggling for self-mastery, to learn to do for himself or herself what others have been doing for him or her” (Carman et al, 2019). The toddler will move be in two of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development. The two stages include the sensorimotor stage first which occurs in ages 12 to 14 months, and the preoperational stage second occurs from 2 to 7 years. By the end of the preoperational stage, “The thinking of the older toddler is far more advanced than that of the infant or young toddler” (Carman et al, 2019). In support of this, the toddler is curious and will explore their environment. To help keep a safe ensure a safe environment the toddler should not be left alone, and preventative measures should be in place to prevent drowning, falls, and accidental poisoning with childproofing and direct observation.

The types of play toddlers are engaged in, and the manner that they interact with other children are supportive of Erickson and Piaget’s developmental stages. “Toddlers are egocentric, a normal part of their development. This makes it difficult for them to share” (Carman et al, 2019). The child will not want to share their toys, but they will engage in parallel play. Musical instruments such as play pianos or drums which can be created from household items are great examples of toys that will engage allow the toddler to engage in enjoyable safe play. Furthermore, with play comes discipline. “Discipline should focus on limit setting, negotiation, and techniques to assist the toddler to learn problem solving” (Carman et al, 2019.) Parents should set simple rules and be consistent with disciplining when the rules are broken or not followed.