20-month-old: Physical, motor, cognitive and emotional development

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Phan Ngoc Hai - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital

20 months is a period of development with innocent expressions of babies that will make you emotional, but this is also the time when you need to keep an eye on the development of psychophysiology, food and nutrition. child care.

1. Physical and motor development of 20-month-old children

20-month-old babies are still in the process of continuing to perfect and develop their motor skills. Your baby can walk around on his own without your help and without you holding his hand.
Children are very interested in rolling the ball back and forth, although sometimes the pass is not accurate or the child holds the ball for a long time without passing it to anyone.
At this stage, the baby's senses have developed quite well. If you notice how the child enjoys what the happy face looks like, the hands may clapping repeatedly, the arms and legs swing wildly...or when the child is sad, the face turns pale, less active... you will realize this. Children enjoy being touched by objects. Children will also examine their own image in the mirror.
The remarkable point in this age is the change in shape. Unlike the previous stage, the child has a certain change in physique, he looks taller, the belly is flatter. Children still love to explore around and are active.
Children continue to improve their speaking abilities. At this time, children can practice speaking 4-5 words at the same time. However, children's sentences are often difficult to understand, slurred and very confused.
Pay attention to each sound the child makes, and put in a specific context, you should not lose your temper or show anger that scares the child. This will help your child and you to share and understand each other better.

2. Cognitive and emotional development of 20-month-old babies

20-month-old children often show anxiety and fear when their parents are not around. Although children are young, they should be allowed to participate in family activities. Create a sense of reassurance for children by cuddling and loving gestures when saying goodbye to children at work or expressing joy when meeting them again after work. Based on these gestures, children will understand that being away from their parents is only a temporary moment, and then they will come back soon.
Children also find it very interesting to talk to their parents on the phone. To balance family life, work and childcare, parents need a lot of time, but children don't seem to like this. Children want to stick with their parents and always believe that they are a priority number 1 in this family.
At this stage, the child's brain is still continuously developing, learning new things and exploring the world around. You may notice fear in your baby as his imagination is expanding. Children cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy. To help children understand their thoughts and fears, children often rely on their mothers and loved ones around them.

Even if your child feels very scared, you can often distract him after diverting attention because his attention span is still very short. Let's create many games related to sand, water, ... because children at this age love to play with sand and water... Children will hang around with these toys without getting bored.
Children often spend time learning about how their favorite toys work when they play. Although most children still play alone, they begin to turn their attention to many activities around them. Babies can also hear, smell, and touch objects.
At this age many children go to kindergarten. When you see your baby playing with a group of children of the same age, you suddenly feel like you need to be protected. Your baby will follow your reactions to behave, so try to be positive and encouraging.
When children feel safe and loved, they learn best. Please stroke and comfort the baby when needed. Every child will have their own pace of development, and whether children hit developmental milestones at the right time, sooner or later, by school age, all children are pretty much the same.

There may be times when you feel angered by your baby crying, throwing himself on the floor, screaming, biting.... These are all part of the child's development. So, try to be patient with the child and keep calm yourself.
Children have not learned to control themselves, so you need to show them the right behavior. Try not to give in to your child's tantrums to encourage good behavior. To help your child calm down, place him or her somewhere quiet.
There will be times when you cannot understand where your child's anger is coming from. It could be because the child is tired, hungry, or interested in too many things. One in four children this age is more sensitive and more difficult to adjust than usual. These children get angry more easily. If you feel you can't control your child, you need help from professionals to get the most appropriate strategies.
When a baby is 20 months old, many parents start thinking about having another baby. However, you need to pay attention to some issues, such as financial, mental and even time spent with the children to avoid causing difficulties for yourself and the children themselves will not be disadvantaged. Only you and your spouse truly understand your own situation, so make the right decisions for you and your family.
At this age, children have begun to pay much attention to the activities around them. Children still prefer to play alone, although they may be attracted to groups of other children. She will turn her attention to the sounds and activities of other babies, but still doesn't know how to share and understand the needs of other children. 20-month-old children also often make parents worry when they often push and bite each other, parents need to pay attention to keep children safe.
The behavior of 20-month-old babies is still instinctively immature because the brain is not yet mature. To help children gradually form good characters, children need time and lots of positive examples from adults.

3. Nutrition of 20-month-old children

20-month-old babies still need to continue to breastfeed at least 3 to 4 times a day and eat porridge 3 to 4 meals to grow well. If the child has been weaned, it is necessary to make sure to provide enough 500ml of formula or dairy products daily because the main source of calcium is still milk.
Children's main meals need to be provided with all necessary nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals, and powder. To avoid the baby's uneven development, these nutrients need to be combined in balance, avoiding excess.
Besides, to help children have a more appetizing feeling, it is necessary to create a happy eating time for children. In particular, absolutely do not force children to eat when they do not want to eat anymore because doing so will make them feel scared at the next meal.
You can go to the supermarket with your baby and let her help her mother pick up food and put it in the car. Letting children out and interacting with the surrounding environment and nature will help them become more sociable.
To encourage child development, parents need to:
Encourage children to lift their limbs, when you dress them to encourage independence. You can also give your child time to manage to remove his shoes, sandals or socks, wait patiently for him. When children are obedient, do not hesitate to praise them, this will help them be happier and feel important in the eyes of their parents. In the first years of life, children are often at high risk of neurological diseases. , convulsions . Therefore, parents need to find out the genetic factors in the family, medical history and make a chart to monitor the child's health to provide information to the doctor. To detect some possible diseases early and treat them. Timely, take your child to a regular doctor Create a stable family life rhythm because children at this stage often like familiar rhythms and shapes. Some children will become very sensitive to changes with unexpected or uncontrollable reactions. Do not say "no or no" to your child often unless absolutely necessary. Because if you use too much, when you really need it, the child will not listen to you. Instead, often praise children to encourage and reinforce positive behaviors 20 months old children need 5mg of elemental zinc/day to eat well, reach the correct height and weight and exceed the standard. Zinc plays a role in affecting most biological processes taking place in the body, especially the breakdown of nucleic acids, proteins... Organs in the body when zinc deficiency can lead to a There are a number of diseases such as neurological disorders, irritability, etc. Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and guide them to appropriate zinc supplements for their children.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.

Reference sources: vn.theasianparent.com, whattoexpect.com