Mobility
Your toddler is mastering new motor skills all the time and by now may be making your life that little bit harder by opening doors himself or by trying to climb over safety gates. If you haven't already done so then now is the time to make sure that your safety gates are at the bottom of the stairs, rather than the top, and to re-think the safety in any rooms that are suddenly accessible.
He'll probably be getting better at throwing a ball overhead by now, as well as giving balls a good kick, and he will have the control to build a tower several large building bricks high. But don't worry if he's not yet doing these things - he's probably concentrating his developmental efforts on other areas, such as communication skills.
Communication / emotional development
You may have noticed that your toddler talks to himself quite a lot, particularly when he is playing on his own or when he's settling down for a sleep: Watch and listen carefully and you may notice that he's holding conversations with his toys and books. This is as delightful to listen to as it is normal, and is just one of the ways your toddler practices his language skills. It's also an opportunity for him to absorb everything that has happened in the day and replay conversations he's taken part in or overheard.
At times it may seem like your toddler is adding a word a day to his vocabulary, at others he may go days or longer without saying anything new. This is nothing to worry about, and if you listen very carefully you might hear that your child is using new words that are only subtly different to some words that he already uses, so aren't immediately noticeable. Or he may be using one of his existing words for new word that should be pronounced slightly differently. For example, if he's already got the hang of 'door' he may point to the floor and say 'door' too, because he either hasn't heard, or can't yet pronounce, the fl of floor. Listen out carefully and help him to improve his pronunciation by repeating the words for him, try asking him whether he means the floor or the door, and pointing at them in turn.
If you've got friends or family with older toddlers then you will probably have heard mention of the 'terrible twos', when a toddler asserts her independence by being uncooperative and perhaps even by deliberately trying to provoke an angry reaction from you. This kind of behaviour can start well before her second birthday and while you may already be no stranger to awkwardness, it can come as something of a shock if you've been used to a cooperative child to that point. If you are having trouble getting your toddler to do anything other than the opposite of that you ask, then take a look at the 'What you can do' section below for ideas on how to cope.
At play
You might be finding it frustrating if your toddler doesn't want to share his toys with other children, but this is perfectly normal behaviour at this age, so try to be patient with him. That said, it's not too early to show your child what sharing is, modelling good behaviour for them, showing them that sharing can make other people happy and suggesting that he share his toys in a positive way, rather than ticking him off for not sharing.
Some children may be beginning to appreciate that sharing and cooperating in play can be fun, but many toddlers will still be engaging in parallel play with little sense of cooperation for the time being.
What you can do
If you find that you are frequently in conflict with your toddler then have a look at the way you communicate what you want to him. Are you expressing yourself in clear and simple language that he can easily understand? Do you inadvertently encourage the idea not to do what you ask by asking him in a way that suggests you think he won't do it, such as pleading or cajoling? Are you consistent, as well as clear, or do you confuse your toddler by being erratic in what you allow? Do you give your toddler room express his own likes and preferences, to make choices and to manage certain tasks?
If you're not sure what you usually do then have a think about it. Try to establish consistency and make sure you ask your child to do, or not do things in a clear way. Have a look at how much you use the word 'no' and think about whether it's always necessary - you want to avoid a situation when a 'no' becomes an 'oh, alright then', which suggests that 'no' is negotiable.
Establishing a clear routine can help minimise opportunities for conflict: Your toddler knows that it's now time to clean up her toys and that she'll get her dinner straight afterwards, or that it's time to go to bed as she's just had her bath and milk. This approach is completely compatible with nurturing your child's independence and giving her room for self-expression: You can set out what is going to happen yet and then give her a choice to make, for example, 'Now it's time to have your milk, would you like the red or the blue beaker?' Or say it's time for her bedtime story but let her choose which book it is you are going to read to her.
Routines are reassuring to your toddler because they bring an element of predictability and familiarity; because she knows what happens next she's far more likely to accept it calmly. If you haven't yes used routines much then there's no need to be daunted by the idea of creating one, it can be very quick to establish a new routine over a few days simply by telling your child what it's time for now, and repeating the pattern each day. A good place to start is with a bedtime routine that can help your toddler wind down at the end of the day and give him the comfort and security that help settle him in for a good night's sleep.
NB: All babies develop at their own pace and some will reach developmental landmarks more quickly than others. This time line is meant only as an approximate guide for parents. Premature babies will develop more slowly than full-term babies and can be expected to develop in line with their age calculated from their due date. If you are worried about your child's health or progress consult your doctor.
Food additives for toddlers and young children - More new evidence links certain food colourings and additives with behavioural problems, keep up with the latest advice on ThinkBaby.
Blogging your baby's development -
Keeping a diary of your baby's development is a great idea, on ThinkBaby you can keep an up-to-date online blog that you can email to your nearest or dearest or print out later for yourself, so why not start your own?
Toddlers and baby bumps- 
my 2 year old keeps jumping all over me and elbowing, kneeing my stomach. i have tried to explain that mummy has got a baby in her tummy but she doesnt understand yet. is there anything i can do to stop this?
Have you got any advice for Becky, or experienced a similarly boisterious toddler?
Walking off the weight- You don't need fancy equipment or gyms to lose weight, how about walking off the post-baby lumps?
Get support -
You can join in the discussions and share parental experiences and advice with other ThinkBaby members in the baby and toddler forum folders.
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