Navigating Toddler Milestones

Toddler playing with playdough

In the blink of an eye, your little baby has grown like a weed and just keeps learning more things by the day! Toddlers are fun and complex little people, but we understand that navigating toddler milestones can be tricky.

Three-year-old development milestones are some of the biggest changes you will see in your little one. They go very quickly from a toddler who stumbles around and speaks in gibberish to a confident, talkative, and sometimes sassy 3-year-old!

 

What are Appropriate 3-Year-Old Development Milestones?

Though the list of 3-year-old development milestones can seem endless, it can be broken down into three main categories:

  1. Physical development
  2. Social-emotional milestones
  3. Cognitive functions

 

Physical Toddler Milestones

Some of the easiest 3-year-old development milestones to recognize are the physical ones. Your child should be easily running, jumping, and even learning to ride a tricycle. They should also be just about finished developing bowel and bladder control, so you can soon say goodbye to diapers and hello to potty training if you haven’t already

You should also look for things like a full set of baby teeth and improved vision. Don’t stress too much about monitoring these things yourself; your child’s pediatrician will include these 3-year-old development milestones in their yearly checkup. If you haven’t already, you should also begin seeing a pediatric dentist.

 

Growing Socially and Emotionally

Some social and emotional toddler milestones you should expect are things like speaking in full sentences, playing with other children instead of alongside them, and learning manners and appropriate social norms. They will start interacting with more people, and they’ll make friends everywhere they go!

Another emotional 3-year-old development milestone that many parents look forward to is fewer temper tantrums. Your little one will still have lots of big feelings, but they should be getting better at expressing them and communicating what they need. This one might feel slow to develop, but we promise they’ll get there!

 

Educational and Cognitive Milestones

Around this age, your toddler will start to learn more and more in the educational realm. Most instruction and education will still be play-based, but they will start practicing problem-solving, language comprehension, and even basic writing skills.

Curiosity will take over your everyday life with your toddler as they begin to ask the question “why?” and seemingly never stop. Three-year-olds are enthusiastic little learners and will want to understand everything about your day and theirs. They will also start understanding things like size differences, colors, and counting!

 

How Daycare Supports Toddler Milestones

A great daycare center is going to be one that understands toddler milestones and is committed to providing high-quality education as your little one learns to navigate the world. When choosing a daycare center, perusing websites and visiting any frequently asked questions pages can be a great start to finding that exceptional education.

At The Breakie Bunch Learning Center, we believe that daycare can be a phenomenal support system for parents. If you’re looking for a daycare that is committed to child development and has a safe, fun learning environment, look no further!