A 22 month-old stands quite a bit apart from a newborn. A newborn depends quite a bit on his parents for almost everything. On the other hand, your toddler now feeds himself, may try to dress himself or more likely undress himself with the easy clothes, chooses his own playthings, may spend long periods away from his parents and has his own friends outside the home. This self-determination grows as he does. One vital ingredient to individuality is self-concept; identity is also defined by individual expression which is apparent in fantasy play. As your child grows, he becomes better at expressing himself in words. In other creative areas (art, music etc) your child explores his potential and defines his individuality.

• use 6 words
• walk up steps

• build a tower of 4 cubes
• follow a two-step command without gestures
• remove an article of clothing

• build a tower of 6 cubes
• identify 4 pictures by pointing
• wash and dry hands

• jump up

For toddlers making transitions between time zones isn't easy; internal body clocks are much more difficult to reset than external ones. Internal body clocks tell us when we are tired and need to sleep and when we are not. Many parents find that taking young children to a time zone that is ahead is less stressful.

Reset your toddler's clock only if it will be worth the effort:

If you will be away from home for less than a week, it is pointless to adjust to the schedule of the new country; it makes more sense to keep your toddler closer to her accustomed schedule. Otherwise by the time you get her adjusted to the new schedule, it will be time to leave for home.

Start to tone down on excitement before you start out:

Start to keep things low key especially for your toddler a few days before departure. Avoid a hectic schedule and demanding activities which could be tiring - fatigue makes jet lag worse.

Reset your watch:

Set your watch to the time at your destination and continue adjusting meals and sleep patterns to the new time if your toddler cooperates. If your toddler tends to sleep in motion and making keeping to any schedule impossible, it's ok.

Reset gradually:

If you are driving or traveling by train, you will be able to accustom your little one to the new time zone, one zone at a time. It will also be easier if you are breaking your trip, a couple of days in each time zone.

See the light:

You will adjust to the new time faster if you spend as much time as possible in the bright light outdoors as soon after your arrival as possible. On longer trips, making an effort to expose everyone to midday sun on arrival will make resetting internal clocks easier.
Don't expect immediate results with resetting the internal clocks of your family; it takes a few days and a lot of patience. Your toddler is likely to be somewhat cranky, clingy and generally out of sorts. If possible avoid major outings during the first couple of days. Take it easy again for the first few days on returning home. Generally be less attached while you are away from home - the new schedule is only temporary. In the end you may be pleasantly surprised to find that your toddler hardly notices the time change.

To a toddler, there is only mine. Just beginning to grasp the concept of ownership, the toddler has not grasped that it can apply to others. Their ownership extends to other people's stuffs besides their own possessions. Even things that belong to everyone like the bus or the slide in the playground may be viewed possessively. Possessiveness at this age is not a sign of selfishness; it is just another normal manifestation of the toddler's need to establish his identity, to test boundaries and stand up for his rights. It is a necessary step on the road to sharing. Unless they are allowed to enjoy ownership, they have difficulty learning to share; owning comes long before sharing on their developmental scale. They don't learn to share until they are three or four. Another road block to sharing during toddler days is the concept of lending and borrowing. They feel that once you let a friend use something of yours, you are giving up that item for good. When a toddler offers something to a crying friend or his tired mum, he is most likely doing it out of empathy rather than generosity. Sometimes when the toy is accepted, it bothers the child as he was just showing it off rather than sincerely offering it. Just as it is natural for your toddler to object to sharing, it is also natural for you to want your toddler to learn how to share.

Build your toddler's self-esteem:

Insecure children have a much harder time learning to share; they often hoard things and use their possessions to bolster their feelings about themselves.

Don't force your toddler to share:

Pushing a child to share implies that you consider his needs less significant than others. At this sensitive stage of development, your toddler needs to feel important. They need to feel that some things are theirs and theirs alone. Added to this, teaching them to share teaches them nothing about generosity; when they comply, it's only because they are doing as they are told.

Introduce the concept of other people's ownership:

Toddlers need to learn that some things belong to others in the group or to everybody (toys at the nursery, flowers in the garden) and that some things belong to other people (your books, his brother's truck). They also need to learn to take turns on the slide, wait for their turn for an empty swing and they cannot grab another child's tricycle. Promote these rules often; be understanding yet firm. If you face resistance, you may have to bodily remove them from the scene.

Acknowledge that sharing is hard:

Instead of scolding, understand your child's perspective. Such understanding will help your child overcome a reluctance to share sooner. You can also help your child empathize with his friend by explaining how sad that child feels since your toddler is not sharing his blocks with her.



Don't share for your toddler:

Show that you recognize that your toddler's toys belong to him; always ask permission before offering them to his friend. If permission isn't granted, don't insist. In the long run this respect will encourage generosity and your toddler will less likely guard his possessions jealously.

Introduce lending and borrowing:

Explain that when you lend something, you get it back; when you borrow something you will have to give back. Look for opportunities to illustrate this in your daily life. Let your toddler borrow your glasses and then ask for them back. Point out that when children play with the swing at the playground, they don't take it home with them; when they play with the puzzles at their friend's house they don't take them home. They are just borrowing them for a while.

Share with your toddler:

The best way for your toddler to learn is from you. Make a point of sharing with your toddler often; offer a piece of your cake or bread from your plate or juice from your glass. Explain this is yours but you like sharing it with her. Play sharing games. Sharing with you will be less threatening than sharing with their peers and helps prepare your toddler for picking up this invaluable practice.

Compliment every effort:

Whenever your toddler agrees to share, commend and praise her. Try to help your toddler understand that sharing makes play time more fun and makes it more rewarding. With time, experience and your guidance, children start to realize that sharing makes play sessions more fun and that squabbling is a waste of time. This is often realized sooner for kids who are in contact with their peers at a more frequent pace whether in a playgroup situation or in some form of school.

Dental Care

Most children have three or four teeth by the time they are 12 months old and all 20 teeth (primary) by the time they are 3. Your child's first teeth are just as important as her permanent teeth and should be given proper care; if her first teeth are lost too soon, the adjoining teeth may drift closer together leaving less space for the permanent teeth to emerge. This can lead to overcrowding or crooked permanent teeth and you child may need braces or extractions later on.

Tooth decay:

When teeth are not cleaned properly, plaque - a combination of food, mucus and bacteria - builds on the teeth. Tiny holes or cavities are caused when food residue comes in contact with bacteria thereby producing acid. Fluoride strengthens the teeth and helps to prevent tooth decay; it is found in many brands of toothpaste and to water supplies. Fluoride supplements should only be given on your doctor or dentist's recommendation. Children's fluoride toothpaste contain smaller amounts than ordinary fluoride toothpaste because children tend to swallow their toothpaste. Check with your dentist if you are not sure of the toothpaste for your child.

Brushing her teeth:

Start cleaning your child's teeth as soon as her first teeth emerge; for your toddler, use a soft child-size toothbrush with no more than a small pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste. Brush the teeth in circular motions covering the inner, the outer and biting surfaces of the teeth and covering the gums as well. Get her to spit the paste out instead of rinsing with water as this may reduce the benefit of fluoride. Use a damp gauze with a tiny amount of toothpaste to clean the teeth of the reluctant child; wrap your finger over the damp gauze and clean away.

Cleaning own teeth:

Most children don't have the dexterity to clean their teeth properly until they reach ten so your supervision is necessary.
Dos and Don'ts with Teeth
• Do brush your child's teeth twice a day and after eating sugary foods
• Do check food labels for sugars
• Do buy sugar-free medicines
• Do take your child for her first dental visit to the dentist by the time she is two
• Don't let her fall asleep drinking juice from the bottle
• Don't dip her dummy into anything sweet
• Don't give her anything to eat or drink after bed time tooth-brushing

Bedtime Routine:

Night time sleep problems may begin as your toddler starts asserting her independence. The amount of sleep a child needs varies: some children need more and others less. A bad temper and fretfulness can indicate a lack of sleep. Generally you can count on: 12-14 hours (including naps) for a one year old, 12-13 hours (including naps) for a two year old, and 12 hours for a three year old. Most toddlers nap in the day up to the age of 2 and some may need a short sleep up to the age of 3 or 4. A nap will last however long she needs it and usually occurs at a regular time each day (e.g. after lunch). Some toddlers refuse to nap but may still require rest time; allow her to play quietly with some toys or put on a music tape. If you wish for your toddler to continue taking naps in the day, you should ease her away from extra strenuous activity some time before the nap time, offer her milk perhaps, make sure her room is darkened and settle her down to much as for bedtime. If she is resistant to napping because she doesn't want to lose your company, spend a short time reading to her or just relaxing.

A bedtime routine:

Establishing a simple and soothing bedtime routine for your toddler creates security and is the first step in preventing sleep problems. Try to keep to the routine, so that your child understands that it is bedtime.
• Set a time for your child to go to bed and make sure she does so regularly. Give her ample indications that bedtime is approaching.
• Bathe your toddler shortly before bedtime each night; allow her to play a little but avoid too much excitement
• Put her in her night clothes; give her milk or snack before brushing her teeth
• Once she is in her bed, don't leave her right away. Spend some quiet time with her - read her a story or talk to her about the day's events.
• Tuck her in and give her a cuddle and a goodnight kiss. Leave the room before she falls asleep.

Dos and Don'ts with Potty Hygiene:

• Do teach your child to wash and dry hands thoroughly after using the potty or toilet
• Do wash and disinfect the potty after every use
• Do keep a plastic sheet under the potty if your toddler is prone to splashing
• Don't let your child wipe his own bottom at first - he is not ready to clean himself up effectively

Dos and Don'ts with Toilet Training:

• Do let your child choose his own toilet seat
• Do let him flush the toilet if he wants to
• Do ensure he washes his hands thoroughly every time.
• Do make sure girls wipe from front to back
• Don't compare your child's progress with another

Steps in Bladder Control:

• Your child goes for longer periods without a wet nappy. This indicates the bladder has grown and has a larger storage capacity
• Your child is aware of passing urine and indicates to you that he is wet or dirty, is wetting himself or is about to wet himself
• He is able to tell you in time to fetch the potty or toilet seat
• He is able to use the potty or go to the toilet himself
• He becomes dry during the day
• He becomes dry during the night