At 21 months, a baby is rapidly approaching the toddler years and is likely achieving new milestones in various developmental areas. Here’s a look at some key milestones for a 21-month-old:
1. Physical Development
- Walking and Running: At this stage, most toddlers have mastered walking and are now exploring running, climbing, and even attempting to walk backwards.
- Fine Motor Skills: They are refining their fine motor skills by manipulating smaller objects, stacking blocks, and beginning to use utensils with increasing accuracy.
- Self-Feeding: Many toddlers can feed themselves with a spoon and may start using a fork with some success.
2. Language Development
- Vocabulary Growth: A 21-month-old typically has a vocabulary of 50-100 words and may start combining two words to form simple phrases, such as “more juice” or “big truck.”
- Understanding and Following Directions: They can understand simple instructions and requests, such as “come here” or “give me the ball.”
3. Social and Emotional Development
- Expressing Emotions: Toddlers are becoming more adept at expressing their emotions and might show clear signs of happiness, frustration, or anxiety.
- Imitation and Play: They often imitate adult actions during play, such as pretending to cook or talk on the phone, and enjoy interactive games like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake.
4. Cognitive Development
- Problem Solving: Toddlers at this age are improving their problem-solving skills. They may solve simple puzzles or figure out how to get a toy out of a container.
- Exploring Cause and Effect: They begin to understand basic cause-and-effect relationships, such as pressing a button to make a toy light up or produce sound.
5. Social Interaction
- Playing with Others: They are learning to engage with peers and might show interest in parallel play, where they play alongside other children but not directly with them.
- Developing Social Skills: Sharing and turn-taking may still be challenging, but they are starting to learn these social skills through observation and guidance.
Every child develops at their own pace, and variations in reaching these milestones are normal. Providing a supportive and engaging environment helps foster growth and development at this exciting stage.
