Toddler Growth Spurts
Toddler Growth Spurt
The toddler stage is the one with the most development milestones for your child. It’s when your toddler will go through some of the most significant changes and it’s a time full of new discoveries for both the child and the parents. Having a toddler means more challenges than when he or she was only a baby. You may find yourself worrying about your child moving around the house and touching everything while leaving messes everywhere. But, of course, toddlers are the cutest beings in the whole world and having one is exciting and watching them grow and change is the kind of fulfillment every parent just need.
Talking about changes, the first one you’ll notice is their physical growth as they get taller and gain weight. There are moments in your child’s life in which he or she will grow faster, meaning they are going through toddler growth spurts.
A growth spurt is a period in which the toddler grows immensely in a really short time, lasting for only about a week to 2 weeks before returning to their “normal” growth.
The most noticeable growth spurt a toddler will experience is between the ages of 2 and 4. And on average, toddlers will gain 2 to 3 inches a year. Unlike babies, in the second year of your child’s life, it’s normal that their growth will slow down compared to their first year. Toddlers don’t go through multiple growth spurts, they are not gigantic nor at a rapid pace, which means that the way a toddler’s body respond to growing is different for each little child.
SIGNS YOUR TODDLER IS ABOUT TO HAVE A GROWTH SPURT
There are some signs you can stay attentive to that indicates your child is about to go through a growth spurt.
Toddler Growth Spurts = Increased appetite. As with babies, toddlers will experience an increase in their appetite. As their body grows, so will their calories intake but your child’s appetite increase can also be a result from they are very active, so look at others signs too.
Toddler Growth Spurts = Cravings. When toddlers are about to have a growth spurt, they can get a craving for foods that are not their usual favourite meals. The foods your toddler will crave will mostly be foods that contain the vitamins and minerals he or she needs.
Toddler Growth Spurts = Growing pains. Unfortunately, a growth spurt can provoke dull aches and soreness when your child is growing. Also, your toddler might get grumpy, tired or fussy because their limbs feel sore due to growing pains.
Toddler Growth Spurts = Sleepiness. For toddlers, growing up can be exhausting! You might notice that your toddler is more tired than usual. A way to help them out is making sure they get enough sleep as it’s when toddlers sleep that their body releasee the growth hormone.
Toddler Growth Spurts = Outgrowing clothes and shoes. Of course, a common and easy sign to spot that indicates your child is going through a growth spurt is that their clothes don’t fit them anymore. This sign is more recognisable with your child’s pants because their legs get longer faster.
Toddler Growth Spurts = Clumsiness. You probably didn’t know but growing up can cause some coordination issues, especially limbs growing for your little child. Everyone knows that toddlers can be clumsy, but in this phase, you might notice your child fall more than he or she did before.
Toddler Growth Spurts = Mood shifts. Going through physical changes can make your toddler feel tired and grumpy. In addition, changes in hormonal levels can also affect their mood. At this phase is important to be patient and remember how hard it also must be for your child to experience all this growing up!
Toddler Growth Spurts = New skills. Very important, brain development is one of the many aspects of the growth spurts toddlers will go through. At this stage, you will see your kid make progress in areas such as language and motor skills at a dizzying pace. You can take this opportunity to encourage them to learn and develop more but don’t be too harsh with your toddler.
Some children will grow at a steady pace throughout their toddler stage, while others can gain a couple of inches over the course of only a few months. And the same thing applies to gaining weight. Your child might gain a few pounds over a short period before their physical development slows down for a while, or you can even see no difference at all.
As said before, toddlers will gain 2 to 3 inches a year and for some children, this will happen gradually or in shorter growth spurts. But you should not forget that genetics play a role in how quickly your child grows.
Toddler Growth Spurts: How Much Your Toddler Can Grow
On average, between your child’s first and second birthday, it’s common to see a growth of 5 inches and 5 pounds. You’ll also notice that your child’s head grows in size, reaching about 90% of their adult head size by the time they turn 2.
Then, from 2 years old to 3 years old, your toddler should gain around 4 pounds and grow 2 to 3 inches. It’s the time they become more active and comfortable with walking and running. Aside from that, your child’s silhouette will change during their third year, meaning they will get longer legs, lose their round tummy, and get some structural changes in their faces.
It’s important to remember you again, that each little kid is different. Some will grow much and faster than others. Some toddlers will have their growth spurt later than other children but will eventually catch up with them.
As long as your child grows 2 to 3 inches and gain 4 to 5 pounds per year, they are growing at a normal pace. If you feel that your child is not growing as much as they should, you can always book an appointment and talk to your paediatrician as he or she is the perfect person to determinate if something is really wrong and help you find a solution.
Toddler Growth Spurts Summary
Toddler Growth Spurts Age 1 to 2 = 5inches and 5 pounds, Head Growth
Toddler Growth Spurts Age 2 to 3 = 3 inches and 4 pounds, Face Changes
Toddler Growth Spurts = Age 3 onwards = 3 inches and 5 pounds per year, More Active, Longer Legs
