Physical Development: 1-3 year olds Ages

Physical Development: 1-3 year olds

Ages  Toddler- one to two years old  Preschooler- three to five years old or when they start school

Factors influencing growth and physical development    

Genes/heredity Nutrition Health Life experiences

Height and Weight Changes  From 1-3 years old, height and weight slows by half, as compared to the first year of life.  Children also begin to show a greater variation in size

Body proportions  From 2-3 years old, the chest becomes larger around than the head and the abdomen  Arms, legs, and torso lengthen

Teeth     

By age one, child has approximately 8 teeth By age two, 16 teeth By age three, 20 teeth A full set of baby teeth is 20. A child should begin going to the dentist around 18 months to become comfortable and to start preventative care before permanent teeth come in.

Developmental milestones  Not all children reach these milestones at the same age  These are averages  Variations are caused by differences in physical size, health, diet, interests, temperament, and play opportunities  Can help caregivers choose activities that are developmentally appropriate for child’s age

motor skills Gross motor skills 12-18 months: walking 18-24 months: jumps in place 2-2 ½ years: pushes self on wheeled toys 2 ½ - 3 years: alternates feet going up stairs

Fine motor skills 12-18 months: picks up small objects with thumb and pointer finger 18-24 months: grasps crayon with fist 2-2 ½ years: turns one page of a book 2 ½ - 3 years: screws lids on and off containers

dexterity  The skillful use of hands and fingers  Turning on a faucet requires greater dexterity than walking steadily

Sensory integration  Combines information from the various senses to make a single, whole picture of what’s happening  Sensory dysfunction is when one cannot process all the information the senses take in; may react more strongly to different types of stimulation, like light or noise, and less strongly to taste or touch.

Sleep patterns  Age one- two naps, morning and afternoon combining for several hours  As children get older, daytime naps become shorter  By age two, children typically give up morning nap and sleep longer at night

Night terrors vs. nightmares  Night terrors occur early in the child’s sleep cycle  Night terrors aren’t likely to be remembered  Nightmares are frightening dreams that seem real  Nightmares are more serious and may signal anxiety in child’s life

Self feeding  Age 1- eat finger foods, use a spoon, drink from a cup  Age 2- use a fork, but eat slowly  Age 3- can use spoon and fork skillfully and can chew tough foods cut into small pieces

Serving sizes  Young children need smaller servings and need to eat more frequently  Their stomachs are smaller  Food should be offered every 3-4 hours

Meal appeal Variety is the key! Provide differences in:    

Color Texture Shape Temperature

Provide an ease of eating- cut up foods

Good eating habits    

Be a role model Try new foods Let child help in kitchen Encourage child to eat only when hungry and eat slowly  Don’t use food as reward or punishment  Encourage drinking water instead of sugary drinks

hygiene     

Bathing themselves Hand washing Brushing teeth Using the toliet Using a tissue

Still need adult supervision and help

Toliet teaching Physical and emotional signs of readiness:  Can control bladder and bowel functions  Recognizes signals that elimination is necessary  Can remove clothes easily  Shows an interest in wanting to be grown up and use the toliet  Can physically control sphincter muscles at 18 months

Dressing  Starts helping on own at age 13-14 months  By age two, can do pants but shirts are difficult  By age three, children can dress independently  Learns independence, responsibility, self esteem

Choosing clothes    

Comfort Fabric Durability economy

fibers of clothes Synthetic Fibers Advantages:  Durable  Wrinkle resistant  Quick drying Disadvantages:  Doesn’t absorb moisture well  Holds heat and perspiration against body

Flame resistant fabric can catch on fire but will not burn as quickly as other fabrics Only sleepwear is required to be flame resistant

checkups  Ages 12, 15, 18, 24 months and 3 years

 Vaccines introduce small amount of disease carrying germs to body  Vaccines cause immune system to set up defenses against future exposure to that disease

Safety hazards and protection       

Choking Unsafe toys Poisoning Burns Traffic accidents Sunburns pets