Care of the Toddler and Preschooler Flashcards
Promoting optimum growth and development
-The terrible 2s
-Age 12-36 m
-Intense period of exploration
-Temper tantrums and obstinacy occur frequently
-Successful mastery of developmental skills depends on the trust and guidance of parents
Temper tantrums
-Kicking, screaming, breath holding
-Increase when child is ill, hungry, frustrated, or tired
-Usually 5 min or less
Temper tantrum management
-Consistency and developmentally appropriate expectations
-Stay calm during episodes
-Ensure safety
-Stay in routine and ensure naps and meals
-Positive reinforcements, praise for positive behavior
Biological development
-Weight gain slows to 4-6 lbs per year
-BW should 4x by 2.5 years
-Height increases 3 in per year
-Growth is steplike, not linear
-Adult height is 2x height at age 2
-Anterior fontanelle closes by 12-18 m
Sensory changes
-Visual acuity of 20/40 is acceptable
-Binocular vision is developed
-Development of hearing, smell, taste, and touch increases
-Uses all senses to explore the environment
Maturation of systems
-Mature by end of toddlerhood (myelination of spinal cord done by age 2, 75% of brain growth done by age 2)
-Taste discrimination not fully done
-Inner ears short and straight, tonsils large = URTIs, otitis media, tonsillitis
-Swayback and pot belly appear d/t weak abdominal muscles until 3 years
-Voluntary control of elimination (sphincter control at age 18-24 m
Gross and fine motor development
-Locomotion: walks by 12 m, runs at 18 m
-Improved coordination by 2-3 years
-Fine motor development: improved manual dexterity at 12-15 m (can hold utensils and crayons), throws ball at 18 m, draws circles at 3 y
Psychosocial development
-Begins development of independence and self-control
-Erikson: autonomy vs shame and doubt
-Negativism
-Ritualization provides sense of comfort
-Usually have security object (blankie, stuffed animals)
Developmental tasks
-Differentiation of self from others
-Toleration of separation
-Ability to withstand delayed gratification
-Control bodily fxns
-Improved communications
Negativism
-“No”
-Offer 2 appropriate choices
-Reduce opportunity for child to say no
-Stay in routine
-Stay calm and reassuring
Cognitive development
-Piaget
-Imitation and domestic mimicry are common
-Awareness of causal relationships between 2 events (problem solving and operations)
-Learns spatial relationships
-Fully developed object permanence
Preconceptual phase
-Age 2-4 y
-Transition between self-satisying behaviors of infancy and socialized relationships
-Increased use of language
-Concern w/ “why” and “how”
-Egocentric communication “I want”
-Prelogical thinking: not able to fully comprehend understanding, very simple thinkers
-Problem solving based on what they hear or see, not on recall of past events
Development of body image
-Body image closely parallels cognitive development and self-awareness
-Refers to body parts by name
-Avoid negative labels about physical appearance
-Lack clear body boundaries
-Recognizes gender differences by age 2 y
Development fo sexuality
-Exploration of genitalia
-Gender roles understood
-Gender identity established by age 3 y
-Playing “house”
Language
-Personal social behavior: independent skills such as feeding, playing, dressing oneself
-Language: comprehension, more than 300 words by age 2
-At 2 y, can use 2-3 word sentences
-At 3 y, can use simple sentences and acquires 5-6 new words a day
