Do watch out for your energetic 28-month-old while you read through the twenty-eight-month-old developmental milestones.
Here’s why.
He is going to run, move and even climb all over the place in a surprisingly fast manner. Thus, make sure you have child-proofed your house again and keep him under your eyes whenever you are out.
As your little one continues to bombard you with a lot of little talks and cute reactions, you might wonder what other milestones your toddler should be achieving.
Read on to learn more about your little one’s life and how you can enhance his development.
Twenty-Eight-Month-Old Developmental Milestones
28-month-old Sleep
To reduce crankiness throughout the day, you should ensure that your 28-month-old sleeps adequately every day. So, how much sleep is considered as adequate then?
Having a total of 13 to 14 hours of sleep daily, your little one is going to sleep for 11 to 12 hours during the night time. Other than that, he would take a daytime nap for 1.5 to 3 hours.
If you have transitioned your toddler into a bed, you need to be persistent in getting him to sleep in his own bed. Whenever your toddler begs to sleep with you, simply walk him back to his room and comfort him in his bed.
With this, he can learn to fall asleep on his own gradually. Both you and your spouse can equally enjoy better sleep quality throughout the night, too.
28-month-old Feeding
Your 28-month-old needs a healthy, balanced diet to get the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients he needs. However, you do not need to be concerned if he seems fussy about what he eats. This is just part of his growth journey.
Simply offer your toddler three main meals and two snacks daily with a variety of foods from the four main food groups:
- carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and wholemeal bread
- fruits and vegetables
- food high in iron and protein such as meat, fish, eggs and legumes
- dairy products such as cheese, milk and yoghurt
As long as your little one is getting a wide variety of food over the week, you can be rest assured that he is getting the adequate amount of nutrition he needs for his growth.
On top of this, you should never force your toddler to finish what’s on his plate. If you are concerned whether he is full, check out for the following signs:
If your toddler is showing the signs above, simply take his plate away. He will fill himself up during his next meal or snack time as he is not interested in eating at the moment.
Key Milestones in Growth
While wondering about what your 28-month-old is capable of doing this month, let’s not forget about his physical growth too. Thus, how should your 28-month-old toddler grow in terms of his weight and height? Here are the averages that you can expect from your twenty-eight-month-old toddler.
- Weight: Around 12.75 kg for a 28-month-old baby girl and 13.29 kg for a 28-month-old baby boy
- Height: Around 88.90 cm for a 28-month-old baby girl and 89.92 cm for a 28-month-old baby boy
On top of this, your little one might be teething with his second molars. As he might feel painful or uncomfortable due to the big teeth size, you can ease his pain by offering him something cold to chew on such as:
- a raw carrot or cucumber from the fridge
- a cold, wet handkerchief
- yoghurt
It is equally important to take care of your toddler’s teeth through his diet. The rule of thumb is to cut down sugary food as it would cause cavities. Instead, offer these teeth-friendly and healthy snacks:
Key Milestones in Skill Development and Senses
Key Milestones in Movement
- can jump from bottom step with one foot leading
- can walk on toes after the demonstration
- can walk backward for 10 steps
- can handle small objects easily
- can string large beads
- can open a jar lid
Your toddler enjoys running around while exploring his surroundings. Therefore, do not be surprised to find him opening doors, jar lids and even climbing all over the place.
Besides running, he would love jumping and hopping on one foot. He could also go up and down a slide on his own.
Instead of restricting your toddler’s movement, simply allow him to explore, jump and run around under your supervision.
Key Milestones in Five Senses
- can say out short sentences
- can follow directions and instructions up to four steps
- can match shapes and colours
- starts to use pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘you’
- can name 10 to 15 pictures at once
- enjoys pretend play
Looking into his speech and language, your toddler will start to use a variety of words daily. He would start to talk and share stories of his daily life. What you can do is to listen and ask him questions about his stories.
Nevertheless, pay close attention to what your toddler is trying to tell you as it might not be clear at times.
And as your toddler is starting to recognise and match similar shapes and colours, you can start introducing words in a variety of shapes and colours. This can really help him to learn how to describe objects in his daily life.
Other than that, your 28-month-old would start to have interest to play with his peers. In order for your children to learn some social skills such as sharing and turn taking, here are some steps to start with:
28-Month-Old Toddler Activities
Playing movement and imagination-based games are definitely some great ways to practise and enhance your toddler’s skills. At this age, your toddler would love fun games and activities. So, you can always go for the simplest ones instead of purchasing too many fancy toys.
Some interesting activities and games for your 28-month-old include:
Trust us, your toddler would enjoy making crafts from recyclable materials such as cardboard boxes and bottles in which he can play with all day.
Support Your Toddler’s Creativity During the Twenty-Eight-Month-Old Developmental Milestones
As your 28-month-old starts to become more imaginative and creative, you can encourage more explorations in music, arts and crafts.
Simply prepare art supplies and basic instruments (including kitchen utensils) and your toddler is ready to exercise his creative muscles. Let’s enjoy the wonderful noise and colours with your little one!
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