Harry's language continues to develop well. He says 'drop' if he drops, throws or knocks things, and 'dut door' when pushing a door closed.
Sometimes he opens doors simply to close them again while saying it. He says 'chactor' when he sees tractors going past the window to the farm next door.
Harry can now walk across a room from one person to another, holding up his arms for balance. He can also climb up and down the stairs, under supervision. He loves rough and tumble play with big sister Jasmine and is very tolerant of her boisterousness, giving a high-pitched squeal when he has had enough and needs rescuing.
Harry is currently interested in putting objects in boxes. He spends great lengths of time putting balls from the ball pool into a large cardboard box and tipping them out again to repeat the process.
Jasmine and Harry had chickenpox this month. Harry was quite cheerful at first with an average amount of blistery spots, but in a few days he was almost completely covered. This aggravated his eczema, causing intense irritation and infection. He needed antibiotics and special creams and looked very poorly for several days. He needed lots of occupying to help stop him scratching.
Questions
1 What is the incubation period for chickenpox and how can the condition be managed?
2 What skill is Harry developing through his interest in putting things in boxes?
3 How would you expect Harry's social play to develop next?
Answers to part 14 questions (19 May)
1 At this age Harry enjoys books he can respond to verbally and actively.
He loves to point to familiar objects and to join in with sounds and animal noises. Books need to be robust and of a size that he can handle without difficulty.
2 Harry needs to be reassured that Granny's cat is both 'nice' and 'safe'.
He needs to observe others handling and stroking the cat, showing pleasure in their contact with it, and to be allowed to approach the cat in his own time, supervised by an adult who can intervene if it moves suddenly, to prevent scaring Harry further.
By Sandy Green, an early years consultant and freelance trainer. She is also Harry's grandmother.