Child development at the 21st month after birth

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. CCII Tran Thi Linh Chi - Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

The outstanding feature in a 21-month-old child is that the child gets angry easily or cries and nags. Children are also easily distracted during meals. Children this age love to imitate their mother's actions. You should know your child's developmental milestones to help them develop better.

1. Sleep in a 21-month-old baby

21-month-old babies still need about 13 hours of sleep a day, including a 1 to 2 hour nap and a 11 to 12 hour nighttime sleep.
Children may experience some sleep disturbances at this stage such as waking up at night, early in the morning or having trouble sleeping. If this problem only happens occasionally, don't worry too much, it's completely normal in children this age.
In order for your child to have a good night's sleep, you should establish a good bedtime routine for your child. Try to create a fixed bedtime and wake-up time for your child every day of the week (for example, go to bed at 8 p.m. and wake up at 7 a.m.). You should also create some habits for the child before going to bed such as: bathing the child, telling the child a fairy tale under the night light, massaging the child... This will help the child feel relaxed. relaxed, comfortable and ready for bed.

2. Nutritional care for 21-month-old children

According to the standards of the World Health Organization, the average height and weight of a 21-month-old baby is:
21-month-old girls: The average height needs to be 83.7cm. Average weight reached 10.9 kg. 21-month-old boys: The average height should reach 85.1cm. Average weight reached 11.5 kg. Children this age often do not fully concentrate on meals. Children may want to eat at the same time, want to play or even cry during meals. Children will therefore stop eating because they are bored, instead of full. You can fix it by feeding your child with some small toys. If you don't want or can't do this, at least sit with your child while he or she eats, this will prevent them from messing around during the meal and will help them focus more.

3. Development in a 21-month-old baby

3.1. Move

Your 21-month-old baby will confidently walk around the house and can use their hands to explore and use toys and other objects. For example, children can use their hands to open doors and play beads.

3.2. Senses, communication, and emotions in a 21-month-old baby

Most kids start throwing tantrums long before they're 2 years old, so don't be surprised if you have to deal with your child's tantrums by now. This often happens when children have to deal with difficult emotions, disappointments, not being able to have, do or say what they want. To help your child, try to stay calm, because if you get angry you will only make the situation worse. Come and sit next to or hug the child, the child will feel more comfortable and calm. You should also not give up on unreasonable demands from your child, such as asking for a lollipop when he already has another snack. Accepting concessions to your child is only an immediate solution, but will cause long-term problems because your child will think that "rages" are a way to get what he wants. You should explain why they can't have what they want, for example, "you already have a snack, you shouldn't eat this lollipop."
Alternatively, you can also prevent the “rage” by distracting the child, such as pointing at something and holding the child tightly until the “rage” passes.
Learn more about: Psychological characteristics of children aged 1 - 6 years old

4. Activities and games to help your 21-month-old baby develop

Try stuffing toys into a bin, then let your child find and take them out. Children will love this game and it also helps them develop hand-eye coordination.
Increase children's vocabulary by singing songs that rhyme and skip a word for them to complete. For example: “A duck spreads out two...”

5. What can a 21-month-old child do?

Enjoys playing with other children. Can understand and do two requests at the same time, for example, “put your toys down and go to bed, baby”. Get your attention and show you something. Ask for a favorite toy or food. Mimic what you do every day like sweeping the house or washing the dishes. When a child has abnormal signs of health, parents can take the child to Vinmec Health system for timely examination and treatment.

21-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.

Reference source: Emmasdiary.co.uk