19-21 Months

It is common at this stage for children to start rejecting foods they liked and to refuse new foods. This is a normal part of development called the Neophobic phase. It is important to continue to offer a variety and try to keep meal times fun and relaxed! 

Below are some top tips to reduce stress at mealtimes. 

• If you are relaxed and having fun your child will be too. 
• Turn off the TV, tablet and phones, make mealtimes fun without distractions. 
• Eat together if you can, be a good role model. 
• Keep mealtimes to no longer than 30 minutes. 
• Getting messy is really important, using all the senses to explore food helps children to try new foods. 
• Give them foods you know they will eat with something new on the side. 
• Get them involved in shopping and preparing food, it can be as simple as washing the fruit and vegetables before you chop them or choosing a new fruit or vegetable to try at the shops. 
• Keep offering three regular meals and two or three healthy snacks. 

You can continue to breastfeed for as long as you and your childlike. All other drinks should now be offered from a free-flow or open cup. Tap water and pasteurised full fat cow’s milk are the best drinks for your child. If you are thinking about using an unsweetened calcium fortified milk alternative (such as soya, nut, oat, hemp, coconut based milk alternatives) as a main drink then great care is needed as these are lower in energy and other nutrients than animal milk. You should seek advice from a Health Visitor or GP before using these as the main milk drink. Rice milk should not be given until your child is over four and a half years old. For more information try Infant Milks from the First Steps Nutrition Trust website.

You can find more tips and ideas using the links below:

• Parent Club Tips if your toddler is a fussy eater.
• First Steps Nutrition Trust Eating well in the early years
• British Dietetic Association
  • Healthy eating for children
  • Cooking at Home
  • Cooking with children of different ages
  • Cooking safely with children

Your toddler can string a large bead onto a piece of cord. They can open a door by turning a handle. After watching you draw a circle, your toddler will be able to copy a circular scribble.

Keep playing together to help your toddler develop their hand skills. You could try finger painting, popping bubbles a pointer finger or 2 hands together, playing with water: pouring and catching, using spray bottles and water squirters at bath time. You can find more ideas on CBeebies Parenting Be a little helper or Create your own ball run.

Your toddler will enjoy sitting on moving toys and moving them forwards with their feet. This includes sitting on walkers and playground equipment. Your toddler might enjoy playing on a balance bike. Find out more in our Learning to Ride a Bike section. They will explore different surfaces and start to become more confident playing outside. Let your child explore unstable surfaces such as slides, swings, roundabouts and climbing frames. This will help improve their balance and is lots of fun. They will still need lots of help, support and encouragement.

Your toddler is now much more active and keen to explore all their environment - high and low! They can change their speed and direction quickly. They will enjoy doing this as part of a game. Use music, songs and actions like marching, creeping and follow the leader!

Dressing

Your toddler can help with getting dressed by pushing their arm through their sleeve or offer a leg for trousers. Now is the time to start teaching them how to undress. They can take of their hat, socks and shoes (depending on the fastening) so you know they can pull things off. Now get them to help with the last step of taking their other clothes off.

Teaching the last step first is a teaching technique, called backward chaining, that can help children learn how to do complicated tasks. Backward chaining is when you break a task down into it's different steps and then teach the last step first. Once the child can do the last step you teach the second last step and so on until they can do every task. It works great for teaching dressing skills.

If we think about a taking off a t-shirt to start with you would follow these steps:

1. you would help them get their arms out of the sleeves
2. you pull the t-shirt up to their neck
3. you pull the t-shirt over their head most of the way
4. you get your child to pull it off.

You repeat this until your child pulls the t-shirt off their head every time. They might learn this quickly or it might take some time. Keep practicing every time you are changing your child. Then choose another garment and do the same. So for trousers, undo any fastenings and pull them down to your child's ankles and over their heels. Get your child to pull them off. 

Eating and Drinking

Keep letting your toddler practice using a spoon. Use any opportunity to play with spoons too. Give your toddler a spoon while you are cooking. Involve them in simple food preparation, baking and cooking activities. Toddlers love to copy their care givers. There are ideas about Cooking at Home at different stages on the British Dietetic Associations website. Shopping is a great time to explore food too. Find out more from CBeebies Parenting Fun at the supermarket with baby.

Going to the toilet 

Your toddler may be beginning to show signs that they need a pee, becoming restless or squirming. They may also let you know if they have a wet or dirty nappy. You can find lots of information about toilet/potty training on our toileting page. It is still early but there are some things you can start doing now (if you aren't already) to make the journey easier.

• Change their nappy in the bathroom.
• Look at books about going to the toilet together.
• Let them see you using the toilet.
• When possible put their poo into the toilet and flush the toilet together so they know what happens.
• Teach them about washing their hands after going to the toilet.

Teeth Brushing

Brushing your teeth is an essential part of looking after your body. You should be brushing your child's teeth at least twice a day. You can find out more from:

• The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) A Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
• Childsmile Oral health for babies: birth to 3 years old

Listening and Understanding  

Your toddler can understand a variety of simple words. They can follow basic instructions like 'get your shoes', 'show me your nose'. They still love listening to nursery rhymes, books and enjoy music.

Talking  

Your toddler is learning new words each week. They will use their words to communicate with you. You will hear your toddler "talk" when they play. Their words are still very unclear. Their talking might sound like gibberish to you, with some clear words that you will understand. They might start trying to put two words together like 'more juice' but don't worry if they are not.

Interacting 

Your toddler can pull or tug on you to show you things that they are interested in. They might use their own words too. They are interested in other children around them. They will start to copy everyday household activities that they see like making the dinner or washing the dishes.

Find out more from Parent Club Top tips for chatting together with your baby.

Your toddler understands simple requests. They are starting to make sense of 2 part requests like 'put down the toy and come here'.

Your toddler will pull at your arm and use gestures to get your attention. They will point to something out of reach.

Your toddler will be interested in household objects and will copy simple every day activities like brushing the floor. You could play shops together. Find out more on CBeebies Parenting Shopping game.