36 months old: Physical, motor, cognitive and emotional development

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Huy Toan - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
When children are 36 months old, children begin to be aware of many things, develop many skills such as: Controlling a tricycle, easily climbing on tables and chairs, even becoming more stubborn.

1. Physical development and movement

The 36-month-old baby has a marked change in height and weight, specifically: The average weight of a boy is 14.3 kg; height 95.2cm and 13.9kg, 94cm for girls.
For children at this age, they are still in the process of continuing to develop and perfect the organs and functions in the body. The most obvious manifestation of this process is that the child no longer or rarely does bed-wetting at night because the excretory function of the kidneys is more complete, allowing the child to control their own urination.
When the baby is 36 months old, his movement activities become more agile and active. Because, at this time, the baby's muscles develop, helping the baby to be more flexible in movement. Baby can now run, jump, and climb very quickly without tripping or tumbling. Your baby can climb stairs up and down using alternate legs. Children can kick the ball and throw the ball right at the target. Baby can walk in a straight line and tiptoe...
Parents should guide their baby from 24 to 36 months old so that baby can practice basic motor skills. Moreover, it is also quite important for the baby to develop balance and confidence in his ability.

2. Cognitive development

Children's independence is well developed at this stage, reflected in such actions as children can do what they like without the help of others, such as: feeding, drinking, dressing, combing hair. ...Cognitive ability is also well developed, children can call and remember the names of loved ones, animals in books, fruits...
In addition, cognitive development is also demonstrated through the ability to more accurate color discrimination, especially with contrasting colors.
To help children develop better cognitive skills at this stage, parents should buy some more complex toys and play with them. Or you can create a habit of reading books at a young age.

3. Emotional development

Your 36-month-old baby is already building social skills, like sharing toys with friends and taking turns playing with friends. At this point she will get along with other people especially her peers much better than she did about a year ago.
Children express emotions very well including anger, joy, fear and sadness. Children are humorous and witty when describing short stories, or humming a song. However, at this age many children also become more stubborn.
To help children develop the ability to speak more than parents, spend time talking to children, try to engage them in their stories. Encourage your child to answer questions posed by others.

4. Health and nutrition

A 3-year-old baby has a need for energy in the range of 900-1300 calories/day. Each baby's meal must be full of starch (such as porridge, crushed rice), protein (such as meat, fish, milk eggs), fat, vitamins and minerals (in green vegetables, tubers and fruits). ). The ratio of nutrients in the baby's daily diet must follow the standard of protein 28g/day, fat 1-2 teaspoons, calcium 400-500 mg, iron 6-7 mg. In addition to ensuring nutrients according to the needs of the baby's age, parents should also pay attention to choosing healthy foods for the baby to help them eat better and develop better.
Foods such as green vegetables, fruits, fruit juices... for babies to eat depending on their age and individual needs. In addition, parents need to give their children enough water to help them digest and absorb nutrients well. Not only that, water also plays a role in transporting wastes, waste products, and toxic substances of metabolism out of the body.
36-month-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.

References: parents.com, verywellfamily.com