Mother, Baby & Kids

First Year Toddler: Twenty-Three-Month-Old Developmental Milestones

A 23-month-old toddler is winking with some glitter on her forehead.

Ticking off the twenty-three-month-old developmental milestones simply moves you one step closer to the second year of your toddler. To be exact, it would be less than one month before your little one celebrates his second birthday!

Looking less like a chubby baby he once was, your little one is getting more and more independent as time passes. Besides, you might be facing the issue of your little one throwing tantrums and picky eating.

Read on to learn how you can handle these issues and discover what else you can expect in the coming weeks.

Twenty-Three-Month-Old Developmental Milestones

23-month-old Sleep

Your 23-month-old toddler needs approximately 13-14 hours of sleep every day. At this age, she’ll likely to need one day time nap for 1.5 to 3 hours.

Around this age, your toddler is trying to climb out of his crib. This is actually a tell-tale sign that it is time to transition him to a low toddler bed.

In order to ensure your toddler’s safety, you can take these following tips into your consideration:

23-month-old Feeding

In order to keep your active toddler going, he needs a variety of healthy hood which can come from three meals and two snacks daily. Simply serve him food which offers him essential nutrients like whole grains, vegetables and fruits, meat, eggs and dairy products.

In order to cater to his growing body needs, we often try our best to get our toddler to eat his greens and try new food. However, the process can be quite frustrating and stressful as your little one simply refuses to eat his food.

Try out these alternatives instead to get your children through the picky eating stage:

Key Milestones in Growth

As your little one is making physical, emotional and verbal development, you will certainly be amazed by the rapid progress that he has made. With this, how should your 23-month-old toddler grow in terms of weight and height? Here are the averages that you can expect from your twenty-three-month-old toddler.

  • Weight: Around 11.74 kg for a 23-month-old baby girl and 11.93 kg for a 23-month-old baby boy
  • Height: Around 85.60 cm for a 23-month-old baby girl and 86.87 cm for a 23-month-old baby boy

If you notice that your little one’s growth has slowed down as compared to his first year, worry not. This is due to the fact that his baby fat is melting away.

Key Milestones in Skill Development and Senses

Key Milestones in Movement

  • can kick and throw a ball
  • can stand on tiptoes
  • can walk backwards
  • can balance on one foot while holding onto a chair or the wall
  • can walk up and down the stairs
  • can turn over a container to pour the content out
  • can build a tower of four blocks or more
  • can pull a wheeled toy
  • might be able to dress and undress himself

As your toddler is exploring and practising new skills, you will notice that he starts to show his interest in climbing up and down the stairs. To keep your toddler safe, always monitor him around the stairs and use the baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.

On top of this, your toddler is showing more interest in dressing and undressing himself. Knowing that independent dressing is a skill that takes our toddler years to learn and refine, this is how you can first start to teach your toddler about dressing himself:

Key Milestones in Five Senses

  • can make sentences with two to four words
  • can name things like familiar buildings, people and animals that he sees often
  • can understand opposites, such as ‘big’ and ‘small’
  • starts to show preference of using left or right hand
  • likes to imitate others
  • experiences new emotions

You may hear your toddler telling you a few simple phrases and sentences. He would also start to use the correct names for the people, objects and body parts that he recognises.

Besides experiencing new emotions, your 23-month-old would also throw tantrums whenever he loses his control over his emotions. While keeping him well-rested and well-fed, you should always stay calm during every tantrum.

Try to help him to identify his feelings and redirect his attention with his favourite toys and activities.

Taking care your toddler’s emotion is essential too if you and your spouse are preparing to have another baby. While it is natural for your toddler to feel a bit jealous over the idea of having a younger sibling, it is crucial to ensure your toddler that you still love him unconditionally.

With that, you will be able to prevent your little one from throwing rounds of tantrum as a result of feeling a little left out.

Here’s how both you and your spouse can make things easier for your toddler:

23-Month-Old Toddler Activities

Involving your 23-month-old in a variety of games and activities can help to encourage his development. In order to improve his motor and socioemotional development, you can try out these exciting ideas to spend quality time your toddler.

Offering More Understanding While Working Through the Twenty-Three-Month-Old Developmental Milestones

As your 23-month-old is resistant to change, it is essential for you to maintain consistency and routine in their daily life while being more supportive and considerate.

You can also look into teaching him appropriate behaviour in public places such as shopping malls and restaurants. Though it might not be easy at the beginning, do explain to him what’s can and can’t be done when he is out and about.


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