What can you first expect from your toddler as he reaches the twenty-month-old developmental milestones? He is going to exert more sense of independence as he prefers to do things his own way.
On top of this, he is going to walk more confidently to play and explore. At the 20-month-old mark life, you can be very sure that you will never be bored with your little one as he grows to be more mobile and active.
Learn all about the exciting things and challenges of your 20-month-old toddler with our guide on sleep, nutrition and growth.
Twenty-Month-Old Developmental Milestones
20-month-old Sleep
Getting a total of 13 to 14 hours of sleep daily, your 20-month-old is going to enjoy his night time sleep for 11 to 12 hours. He is also going to take a nap during the day time for around 2 to 3 hours per day.
After establishing bedtime routines during the previous months, your toddler is finally enjoying his good night time sleep. However, what might happen is that he starts to wake up very early in the morning (let’s say before four o’clock).
With this, you might start to have issue in getting enough sleep. Thus, it is essential for you to find out the root cause of toddler waking up too early.
The possible reasons can include:
- sleeping too early in the evening
- feeling hungry
- reaching new developmental milestones
- going through the transition of weaning from a pacifier or bottle to get back to sleep
With this in mind, you can try out the following alternatives for your toddler who is waking up too early:
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20-month-old Feeding
Up until your toddler is two years old, you are going to continue serving him with three main meals and two snack times. Always offer some options and let him choose what he wants.
Other than providing him a variety of food options which include vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy, you can look into his intake of calcium, iron and fibre.
In order to increase his intake of these nutrients, you can include food like green leafy vegetables, broccoli, tofu, fruits and whole wheat products. If you are in need of some ideas on meal preparation for your toddler, you might find the following suggestions useful:
Additionally, if your toddler is still drinking liquid from a sippy cup or bottle, you can start limiting bottle to only water. You can then gradually serve milk and juice only in a cup.
Key Milestones in Growth
How should your 20-month-old toddler grow in terms of weight and height? Here are the averages that you can expect from your twenty-month-old toddler.
- Weight: Around 11.07 kg for a 20-month-old baby girl and 11.34 kg for a 20-month-old baby boy
- Height: Around 82.80 cm for a 20-month-old baby girl and 84.07 cm for a 20-month-old baby boy
On top of this, you might notice that your toddler starts to love being naked. Just after you have completed the mission of dressing him, you will start to see him undress himself in an instant.
Worry not, this is common among toddlers for the following reasons:
- Your toddler does not feel comfortable with the clothes as they’re too tight or he does not like the texture of the fabric.
- Your toddler is wearing clothes that are too thick.
- He found new skills and freedom in striping off the clothes by himself.
To handle such issue, you should never overreact. It would only worsen the situation as your toddler might purposely do the opposite of what you want.
Here’s how you can be smart to stop your little one from undressing himself:
Key Milestones in Skill Development and Senses
Key Milestones in Movement
- may start to run unaided
- may be able to climb steps
- can throw a ball
- can stack blocks and throw things accurately
- able to take off clothes with little help
As your little one continues to grow, he is developing better hand-eye coordination, both gross and fine motor skills. Thus, it is very common to have him to play with and manipulate his toys easily.
As he plays with his toys around the house, you can then expect to see socks and toys scattering everywhere. Instead of being too concerned about your messy home, you can try to integrate a little fun with organising the belongings:
Key Milestones in Five Senses
- able to say around 12 to 15 words
- knows the name of his favourite toys and say other common words
- might start to ask “What?” and “What’s that?” at everything he sees
- able to understand simple instructions
- able to draw vertical and horizontal lines
- prefers doing things his own way
- prefers hitting, pushing, biting or tugging to express frustration
- enjoys imitation and pretend play
Other than expressing his desire to be independent, some toddlers start to hit, push and even bite the person around them to experiment with consequences.
What would happen if I hit my sister?
Would it be the same if I hit my mum?
Thus, it is essential for us as parents to deal with such situations wisely. Whenever you spot your toddler hitting, biting or pushing others, remove him from the situation immediately.
Then, remind him gently and firmly that his behaviour is inappropriate. You may then move his attention with other toys and activities. Never resort to hitting your toddler to teach him a lesson. This would only reinforce the message that hitting is fine when it comes to doing the wrong thing.
On top of this, you can reinforce positive attitude and behaviour with sincere praise. Whenever you spot him sharing his toys and playing together calmly, just give him a verbal compliment or even a quick hug.
20-Month-Old Toddler Activities
As your little one grows every day, never stop reading to him every day. He is going to expand his vocabulary in no time through reading.
During the reading process, you can get him to point to the pictures of what you’re reading. Besides reading, you can help your little one learn and grow with some fun activities, games and toys for a 20-month-old.
Here are some exciting ideas to foster your 20-month-old toddler’s physical, mental, and emotional development:
Besides exploring his creativity and imagination, you can also look into introducing the concept of manners. Simply teaching him to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can help to build the foundation of good manner of your toddler.
Keep Your Cool Throughout the Twenty-Month-Old Developmental Milestones
Taking care of your 20-month-old can be both exciting and challenging due to his impulsive and aggressive behaviour. However, try to calm yourself down and help your toddler to understand that his behaviour is inappropriate.
Other than that, do keep in mind that every toddler develops at their own pace as you track along the 20-month-old developmental milestones. Never hesitate to contact your paediatrician if you are concerned about any developmental delay.
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