• Now your child

• Brushes her/his teeth with some support.
• Washes hands but needs help with drying.
• Draws a vertical line.
• Names several body parts.
• Builds a tower out of several bricks.

• When to be concerned

• If the child does not speak or makes vowel sound but not consonant sounds.

• Now your child
• Enjoys pretend play.
• Starts to play with, not just alongside, other kids.
• Tells you when s/he needs a diaper change or has to go to the potty.
• Refers to herself/himself by name.
• Names one colour and one friend.

• When to be concerned
• If the child does not recognise simple emotions (e.g., happy, sad) in others.

• Now your child

• Says short phrases of 3-4 words; understandable to others half of the time.
• Speaks using pronouns I, me and you.
• Asks many What? and Where?? questions.
• Speaks clearly most of the time.

• When to be concerned
• If the child shows inconsistent response to words or directions.
• If the child gives inappropriate responses to simple questions
  such as “Who is this?” and “What is this?”
• If the child is not interested in simple stories.
• If the child seems to easily forget familiar routines.
• If the child becomes easily frustrated during communication exchanges.
• If the child mostly relies on yelling, grunting, or incoherent
  utterances for communication.
• If the child uses the same pseudo word or short syllable to represent
  many different things i.e. for boy, ball and baby.
• If the child is unable to name most familiar items.
• If the child has no clear or response.
• If the child has less than 200 words and lacks a steady vocabulary.
• If the child may have ‘lost’ some speech.

• • Now your child
  • Can balance on one foot.
  • Can put on a T-shirt.
  • Jumps up off the ground.
  • When to be concerned
  • If the child is not able to balance her/his body.

Parent’s role
Mastery and skill development is built through exposure, so as a parent, you should carefully consider the toys you have provided to your child for appropriateness for her/his age group.
Encourage your partner to play and interact with your child. Children learn differently from how the two different genders communicate with them.
When the child does something that they have been told not to do, punishment is inappropriate as your child is still too young to link cause and effect in a very clear way. But do give them gentle but firm messages.
Even if your child is not keen on chewing keep offering them lumps and textures. Eventually s/he will learn to accept these foods.

• Now your child

• Can make toys with buttons, levers and moving parts work.
• Child also plays with dolls, animals and people.
• Does puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces; builds towers of more than 6 blocks.
• Copies a circle with a pencil or crayon.
• Screws and unscrews jar lids and turns the door handle.
• Child turns book pages one at a time.

• When to be concerned

• If the child falls down a lot or has trouble with the stairs.
• If the child cannot play with simple toys such as peg boards,
  simple puzzles, turning handles.
• If the child loses skills that s/he once had.

• Now your child
• Copies adults and friends and shows affection for
  friends without prompting; shows concern for a crying friend.
• Takes turns in games.
• Understands the idea of ‘mine’ and ‘him’ or ‘hers’; also shows a wide range of emotions.
• Separates easily from mom and dad.
• May get upset with major changes in routine.
• Dresses and undresses self.

• When to be concerned
• If the child does not understand simple instructions.
• If the child does not play, pretend or make-believe.
• If the child does not want to play with other children or
  with toys; does not make eye contact.

• Now your child

• Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps and can name most familiar things.
• Understands words like ‘in’, ‘on’ and ‘under’.
• Says her/his first name, age, and sex; and also names her/his friends.
• Says words like I, me, we, and you, as well as some plurals.
• Talks well enough for strangers to understand and most of the
  time carries on a conversation using 2 to 3 sentences.

• When to be concerned
• If the child drools or has unclear speech.
• If the child doesn’t speak in sentences.

• • Now your child
  • Climbs well and runs easily.
  • Pedals a tricycle (3-wheel bike).
  • Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step.
  • When to be concerned
  • If the child frequently misjudges distances.
  • If the child is particularly uncoordinated or off balance with eyes closed.
  • If the child is awkward getting down/up, climbing, jumping, and getting
  • around toys and people.

Parent’s role
It is your responsibility to set the standards for behaviour.
Work with your child to climb, hop, and stand on her/him on tippy toes to help strengthen motor skills, balance and coordination.
Broaden social engagement by signing up for routine playgroups and setting up play dates at your home. Start helping her/him to understand the differences between storybook characters and everyday life encounters.
Use a lot of praise for independent behaviour, e.g., getting dressed on her/his own, using the potty alone and even beginning some of the bedtime routine without help. All of these should earn the child encouragement and positive reinforcement