18 month Milestones

Every month I like to check on Bee's development and make sure I am working with him on the things that I should be.  I'm in no way concerned for his development but this gives me a place to start on activities for us to do together and things to work on. I get my information from several sources but The New Parents Guide provides a nice overview of what toddlers might be doing every month. Green writing means that I feel Bee performs the task very well. Yellow writing means it's a skill he demonstrates occasionally but can still use work. Red writing means it is a skill I have rarely seen Bee do. 

Most toddlers should be able to . . .

• Draw a scribble well- What exactly does a scribble look like? Haha, but he likes to color!
• Run well- I think he runs well. I mean, he isn't a marathon runner or anything but he can certainly do it.
• Become picky about certain foods- Some days he's pickier than others. : )
• Say at least 15 or 20 words- definitely, last we counted up to 50 words that he has said. Plus, I swear every day he adds new ones!
• Feed self with spoon- Bee loves his fork and spoon! We use forks more often than not but he can feed himself applesauce with a spoon and not make too big of a mess!

Some toddlers will probably be able to . . .

• String more words together to make phrases or puts together pairs of words- he will repeat phrases that we use, such as sit down, all done, book please, or side to side. He hasn't yet made a phrase up all on his own.
• Talk more clear- I feel like his speech is becoming more clear everyday! I understand about 75% of what he is saying.
• Brush teeth with help- He likes to pretend to brush his teeth but is typically not actually brushing them!
• Take off an article of clothing alone- Bee can take off his jacket, shoes, and socks without help but has difficulty pajamas, pants, and shirts.
• Jump around- he likes to jump ("dump" in his words) It's more of a bounce than anything, the feet have yet to leave the ground!

Some toddlers could possibly be able to . . .

• Take apart toys and sometimes puts them back together- The only toys he'll take apart and put back together are his stacking toys. But we don't really have many other toys that can be "taken apart".  Unless puzzles count. In which case he also enjoys them, sometimes.
• Show signs of potty training- sometimes. He can sit on the potty while we read him a story. He's also gone in the potty before. He understands what poop is but doesn't ask to go potty.
• Climb out of crib and high chair- Bee has a BIG BOY BED now. We never gave him the opportunity to climb out. We moved him before he tried, haha. Although he does stand up in his high chair when he wants down.
• Take off clothes- He takes off his socks and shoes in the car everytime we drive somewhere. He will also take off his jacket when we get home or in the grocery store.
• Draw circles- He has tried drawing circles a couple of times. A circle is his favorite shape (I say favorite because it's the one he can recognize!)
• Understand two part directions- Every morning after we've changed his diaper I ask him to turn off his bedroom light and shut his door. He does it about 60% of the time. So we're working on this one.