Your 24-month-old's development

What can my toddler do this month?

Your toddler turning two is a big milestone. He may now be happy to share his play space with a friend or sibling. This is good news if you're planning a birthday celebration for him.

However, don't expect him to share his toys or play co-operatively just yet. Taking turns to place blocks in a tower will be beyond two-year-olds. Your toddler is likely to prefer playing on his own, but side by side with a little friend (Sheridan 2008: 35, Thomson Delmar Learning 2007). He may like to keep an eye on what his friend is doing!

At two, your toddler can organise categories and arrange things in order. In fact, it may be important to him that things are done "right" and he will be happy to devote time to sorting.

When you're reading to your toddler, he'll be able to point out, say, all the cats or all the balloons on a page. He'll be able to think about these things because he's seen them in the real world. But he won't be able to point out all the "nice" or "heavy" things. These are abstract concepts, which are still beyond him.

How well should my toddler be able to talk?

Your toddler may be able to have a two or three-sentence conversation with you. As his sense of himself as a separate person grows, he'll talk about himself. He'll tell you what he's doing, what he likes and what he doesn't like. Try not to worry if you can't always make out exactly what he's saying. The important thing is that he wants to talk.

As well as being able to express more complex ideas, your toddler will understand more of what you say. He may now be able to follow simple instructions such as "Go and see what the postman has brought".

Your toddler will also understand you when you ask him to do something and explain your reason for asking. For example, "Come here and sit down so I can do up your shoes" (Sheridan 2008: 34).

Your toddler will listen in for short spells while you chat to someone else (Sheridan 2008: 33). However, it won't be long before he loses interest and starts to clamour for your attention (RCSLT 2003).

Why is my toddler constantly asking questions?

Your toddler asks "why" for a lot of reasons (DoE 2010: 8, Thomson Delmar Learning 2007). Sometimes he wants an explanation. Sometimes he doesn't know any other words to express his curiosity about something. Sometimes he's just pleased he's asked a question that gets a lengthy answer.

Answer his questions, and be patient. You might try answering a "why?" question with one of your own: "Why do you think the cat ran away?" In this way, you might get a clue to the explanation he's really looking for.

When should we move our toddler into a big bed?

There is no set time that you should move your toddler from his cot to a bed, although most children make the move some time before they're three and a half.

Putting your toddler in a big bed does take away the worry about him getting hurt if he tries to clamber out of his cot. Of course, your toddler will surprise you all the time with new things he can do. So, if you're not sure whether your toddler is quite ready to climb out, place pillows on the floor around his cot. At least then his first few forays should be safe for him.

Once you've moved your toddler into a bed, it does mean he'll be able to move about freely during the night if he wants to. If that's a worry for you, you could put a stair gate at your toddler's bedroom door. Put up the gate before your toddler moves into his bed so he'll have time to get used to it.

Use a bed guard so your toddler doesn't fall out of his bed while he's asleep.

When will my toddler be ready for potty training?

There's a very broad age range when it comes to potty training. So, your toddler may be ready to try now. Equally, there's no need to worry if your toddler hasn't shown an interest yet. Children can be ready for potty training any time between 18 months and three years (NHS 2011).

Don't try to potty train your toddler before he's ready. Let him set the pace. Look out for signs that he's starting to think about it and try him with a potty then. Signs that he's ready include showing interest when you go to the toilet and seeming uncomfortable when his nappy is wet or dirty. He may also start to tell you if he needs a wee (NHS 2011, Sheridan 2008: 31).

Go on to month 25 to find out what your toddler may do next!

Go back to month 23.


Department of Education. 2010. Information for parents: speech, language and communication needs.

Department of Education, Ican, Afasic, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. [Accessed January 2013]

NHS. 2011. Helping your child's speech. NHS Choices - Pregnancy and Baby Guide. [Accessed January 2013]

RCSLT. 2003. Help your child to talk. Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. [pdf file, accessed January 2013]



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