A full summary of life for this 24 month old. Find out what daily life was like and find a 2 year old sample schedule to follow.
You read it right. McKenna is now two.
Wow.
A word that really describes McKenna is “fun.” She loves to have fun, she is fun, she is always having fun, and people around her have fun.
She makes people laugh and smile constantly. Sometimes her drive for fun leads her to do mischief, but she is relatively easily brought back to the right track.
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Eating
McKenna is still eating well. I can tell she is getting more skeptical about things, though.
Rather than grabbing anything put before her and scarfing it down, she might turn her head a bit and give it a sideways glance while she thinks it over.
She does end up eating everything put before her; she just thinks about the new or unfamiliar stuff, which I think is a good thing.
Booster
Last month, we moved to a booster seat for meal time. She is doing well with it, though she has introduced issues I have never faced before.
She likes to squirm around and try to stand up sometimes.
I have never had a child do that.
Buckles work, as does taking the child right out and ending meal time, which for a child like McKenna (one who loves to eat) is enough to cure her of the desire to push the envelope on this topic.
[Added–I want to make clear I am talking about a booster seat at the dinner table, not in the car]
Playing
Independent play and sibling play are both great.
McKenna absolutely loves to be outside, so we are both looking forward to perfect weather so we can spend a lot of time outside.
She is the type (as I think most children are–but not all) to just stay out no matter how cold she is, so I have to monitor her and not just wait for her to decide she is cold enough.
On a playing-related topic, McKenna had a couple of weeks where she was an absolute tornado.
Absolute.
She was a masterful mess maker.
She likes to clean, so she would help clean-up, but I have never had a child make a bigger mess on their own!
She was going through cupboards and drawers and closets…she could empty something in 60 seconds easily! She happily snapped out of the tornado thing. Now we just have normal sized messes.
>>>Read: Independent Playtime: The Ultimate Overview
Night Sleep
The time change was this month, and night sleep stayed great.
Naps
Naps, on the other hand, did not.
I don’t want to complain because she is still napping 2.5 hours. However, she was napping 3.5-4 hours until the time change.
Not only that, she was waking up crying. I watched her on the video monitor and she was literally waking up crying.
She had no sickness and no teeth that I could see. She could have been having bad dreams.
My conclusion, though, was that she was just off because of the time change and not sleeping well. I gave it time, and as of right now, naps are still “short,” but she is not waking up crying. That is good.
I also taught her that instead of crying, she needed to say “Mommy! Up please!” After only explaining it once, she started doing it! I was very shocked.
Doctor
McKenna had her 2 year well-visit with the doctor and all is well. She is in the high 50s for her size, so just above average.
The doctor is surprised at how much she talks (but honestly with the amount of talking my three year old does, it seems like nothing–just wait till I have two fluid female talkers competing to talk to me!).
Learning
Learning continues to explode.
She is suddenly able to identify most colors and can now count to 7 consistently, sometimes beyond. These little toddlers are amazing! This is one reason I just love the toddler age.
Birthday Party
McKenna had her birthday party. She loved every last second of the attention and fun. We just do simple family gatherings and perhaps some family friends for parties in this age group.
2 Year Old Schedule
8:15–breakfast
9:00–bath/get ready
10:00–sibling playtime with Kaitlyn
10:30–independent playtime11:30–learning time. Sometimes lunch is later and she watches Elmo here.
12:00–lunch. Then play with Brayden and Kaitlyn
1:30–nap
4:00/4:30: get up
5:00–Dinner. Free play and family time
8:00–in bed by this time. Sometimes sooner.
Times are approximate
Good Books and Websites
- On Becoming Toddlerwise
- Wholesome Toddlerfood.com
- The Toddler’s Busy Book
- What To Expect The Toddler Years (this is okay–I don’t love it)
- Super Baby Food
- So Easy Toddler Food cookbook
- The Wonder Weeks.
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
- The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior–Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood
Related Posts
- McKenna Toddler Summary: 23 Months Old
- McKenna Toddler Summary: 25 Months Old
- Brinley Toddler Summary {23.5 Months Old}
- Brinley Toddler Summary {24 Months Old}
