Toddler Milestones – What Can You Expect at 31 Months?

Some developmental toddler milestones for a 31-month-old are-

Resistance

• Your toddler’s personality is developing and they are becoming more independent
• They might say no to the clothes you choose for them, the food you give them, or even reject play ideas
• They may not want to do what you say, right away
• They are learning to be firm and also testing their limits

Dexterous

• Your toddler can use both hands well now. They can use their hands independently of one another
• Their fingers are stronger and can bend better now
• Many toddlers will start showing interest in doing simple jigsaw puzzles. They may not understand how to do it, but they will show readiness
• Notice if your toddler prefers one hand over the other for writing, eating, or doing various activities. This is their dominant hand
• Some can use both hands equally well, this is known as ambidextrous

Imaginary Friends

• Your toddler might start playing with friends only they can see
• Some toddlers may start talking and playing with their stuffed toy or some figurine like it’s a real person
• The creative and imaginative parts of their brains are developing now. This is an important step in developing imagination
• Though it may seem very concerning and you may want to stop them from talking to a non-existent friend, don’t correct them always
• This milestone helps improve their creative thinking and also enables them to play by themselves

Teething

• Your toddler might start sprouting their next set of teeth
• Their second set of molars may start peeping out anytime now
• They can grow anytime between 20 – 33 months of age. So, some toddlers may already have them
  These are called the 2-year molars
• All that improvement with meal time and sleep time might hit a roadblock or even go into regression due to this

Empathy And Other Emotions

• Toddlers at this age can feel sad when they see others around them being sad
• They have strong empathy and they will start expressing their feelings freely
• Don’t be surprised if your toddler readily shares their favorite toy when their dear friend is sad or crying. They will make offers to change a person’s mood
• It is a combination of their empathetic side developing and them mimicking what the adults around them do when the toddler is having a hard time

Understand Time

• Your toddler will slowly start understanding the concept of time
• They won’t be able to tell time but they will understand the essence of it
• If you tell them 5 more minutes of playtime, they can understand that there is not much time left
• If you show them the clock’s hand and tell them until when they have time, they will keep track of the minute hand and may come to you when the time is up

Drawing

• Some toddlers will show more interest in drawing
• If your toddler is already making scribbles, they will now try drawing simple shapes
• If you draw a circle or a square on paper, they will try to copy the shape too
• Once they get hold of a shape, you can see that shape making multiple appearances in all their drawings henceforth
• Some toddlers may draw their own shapes and give them new names or claim it is some particular shape. It is their version of drawing a circle or square
• With time and practice, they will eventually start drawing it properly

Growth Chart For a 31-Month-Old Toddler

An average 31-month-old height and weight will be as follows-

Girls

Weight – 10.3 – 16.5 Kg
Height- 84.7 – 98.2 cm

Boys

Weight –10.8 – 16.9 Kg
Height- 86.2 – 99.2 cm

(This chart is just an indication and these parameters may vary from one toddler to another)

Tips to Boost Your 31-Month-Old’s Development

Here are some tips for parents to aid their 31-month-old’s development in attaining their toddler milestones-

1. Open And Close

This can be a fun game if you play it with them. Gather a bunch of boxes from the kitchen, with the lids. Now open up the boxes and put all the lids and boxes together. Encourage your toddler to find the right lid and close the box shut. This will help improve their matching skills, problem-solving abilities, and motor skills.

Tip: As your toddler gets better at this activity, you can turn it into a competition and see who finds the most lids. When you play with your toddler, they tend to learn better (1).

2. Help With Laundry

Let your toddler put the pegs on the clothes when you hang them out to dry. This can help improve their finger strength and mobility.

3. Pretend Play

Pretend play is one of the most effective developmental toddler milestones. When your toddler pretend-plays with a peer or by themselves, they are getting creative, recollecting details about the character and acting like the character. This keeps them busy and improves creativity.

4. Draw Shapes

Anytime your toddler is bored, take a piece of paper and draw some simple shapes and give it to them. Encourage them to draw the shape on their own or color the one you drew. You can also make dotted lines of the shape and guide your toddler to draw over the line.

Health And Care of Your Toddler

Here are some ways to effectively take care of your growing toddler’s health to help them attain those toddler milestones-:

• Wash your toddler’s bottles, especially the cap and mouth area regularly. As they learn to use their bottles independently, they can transfer a lot of food particles to the bottles
• In case of a mosquito or insect bite, wash the area well, ice the area, and apply some baby lotion to prevent your toddler from scratching the spot and injuring the skin
• If you want to get your little one’s ears pierced, then make sure to take proper care of their ears after the procedure. Clean it regularly with an alcohol-based solution. Also, it is better to get the piercing done in slightly cold weather as summer season can cause pus etc.

Some Useful Tips For Your Toddler

Here are some useful tips to aid your little one in meeting their toddler milestones-

• When your toddler tries to tell you something, pay attention to them. Yes, it can be unimportant when you are in the middle of something but ignoring them or passively listening to them can discourage them from talking to you (2)
• Your toddler is getting independent. Give them some control over little things in their lives. Let them decide what night suit to wear or which toy to play with. This will help build their confidence and also reduce the power struggle
• If your toddler falls or hurts themselves, address the situation calmly and teach them to handle themselves. Once they start school, you cannot rush to them every time and this can prepare them for it
• If phones or gadgets are off-limits, set an example for the same. Reduce your usage in front of your toddler, to reduce temptation 
• If your toddler suddenly gets restless or throws a tantrum, check the time. if they are hungry or tired, they may exhibit such behaviors if they don’t know how to communicate it yet

Your toddler is 2.5 years old and is showing a lot of readiness to start school. Their communication skills and ability to comprehend instructions and carry out simple tasks are improving. If your toddler is struggling with some toddler milestone, come up with activities that can help improve the skills needed to attain that particular toddler milestone.

FAQ’s

1. What Should I be Teaching my 31-Month-Old?

You can teach them colors, shapes, and names of common animals and birds they see around them. Toddlers cannot pronounce or remember it all but will slowly commit the names to memory and use the words in the near future.

2. How Much Should a 31-Month-Old Talk?

A 31-month-old can use about 100 words in their conversations. They can frame small sentences using 2 or 3 words. They can also respond to questions with appropriate words in addition to a yes or a no.

3. Is There a Growth Spurt at 31 Months?

No, toddlers don’t go through a growth spurt around 31 months. The rate of growth can also slow down in some toddlers. Multiple factors including food habits, physical activities, and genetics influence their growth.

Reference

1. The Significance of Parental Involvement in the Development in Infancy – [https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1268016.pdf]
2. Understanding development of infants and toddlers – [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305767290_Understanding_development_of_infants_and_toddlers]