Being two is exciting, scary, interesting, confusing, satisfying and frustrating, all at the same time. Two-year-olds are exploring and establishing their sense of themselves as individuals, with all the experimentation in the laboratory of life that such research entails. Part of the charm and the challenge of working alongside two-year-olds is how different they can be. Diversity, changeability and personality are the watchwords for these people.
As well as a period of consolidation of the huge amount of learning and development that has gone on in a child's first two years, the third year of life involves many, varied and rapid developmental changes.
Cognitive and physical
Language takes many leaps forward and at the same time, and helped by this, cognitive understanding, social communication and emotional regulation each make huge strides, while the phenomenal physical skills gained in the first two years continue to be refined.
A child who is just three is, therefore, very different to a child who is just two. Practitioners who develop a good understanding and appreciation of these developmental changes will not make the mistake of seeing two-year-olds as either less able over-threes who disrupt 'proper activities', or boisterous babies who don't need their support any more.
They will alter their expectations of children as the age range in their group changes and will adapt the play environment, play opportunities and care routines according to their observations of that particular group of children.
Such flexibility is important also because in any group of two-year-olds each child will be different to the others in personality, in family and cultural experience, and in maturity. Children will have already developed quite distinct styles in their approaches to life, learning and other people. Some will be gregarious and chatty, others reserved and shy.
They will have already absorbed a huge amount of understanding about what is expected of them according to their family position and culture. Some will be expected to feed themselves with implements, others not. Some will be comfortable with the rough and tumble of several other/older children; others will find such a situation overwhelming.
Practitioners adopting a flexible approach to organising a group for two-year-olds will expect differences between children and avoid practices that pressurise two-year-olds into doing the same thing at the same time, such as learning to use the toilet, thread beads or give up their feeder cup or bottle.
Individual differences
Individual children may also be at different stages in particular aspects of development - more mature physically and less mature socially, for example, as one aspect of development seems to remain static while the child seems to be focusing on another.
At this age, a child's birth experience, such as being premature or having delivery complications, may influence their individual development hugely.
A particular special need or disability that a child has may become more apparent at this age, or parents and practitioners may start to notice developmental differences that they have not noticed before. This often occurs when a child starts to attend a group for the first time. Regularly observing children and sharing observations with parents and colleagues will extend practitioners' understanding of the individual child and avoid inappropriate expectations or negative labelling of a child.
Emotional and social
Given the rapidity of development at this age, changes in a child can be seen from week to week. But a key characteristic of a two-year-old is not just their rapid development but also their changeability from moment to moment. Their emotions can fluctuate between almost opposite states many times in a day, sometimes seemingly for no apparent reason. This makes the two-year-old's emotional and social life a continuous see-saw of ups and downs. They may agree to share one minute and refuse the next, wait for a turn in the morning and push their way to the front in the afternoon, refuse help on Monday and cling helplessly to you on Tuesday.
To understand what gives rise to these changing behaviours, we have to consider that two-year-olds are constantly meeting experiences that are new, challenging and often hard to understand. If we contrast the number of new situations they encounter regularly with those that an adult would have over two years, we can appreciate that such a full, ever-changing life will inevitably lead to mood and behaviour swings.
But a two-year-old is also 'person creating' (Stonehouse 1988), experimenting with their own and others' ideas of who they are. This challenging task underpins each of the fluctuating characteristics described in this article.
Practitioners who understand the developmental roots of these behaviours and are interested in working alongside two-year-olds, rather than having power over them, find it easier to respond well to and provide for this unpredictability.
TRANSITIONS
At two, many children have to cope with major changes in their lives over which they have no control. Many will start attending some form of daycare and separate from their parents/carers for longer periods for the first time. Many will have a new baby in their family. Some will move house; a few will even move family because of divorce or remarriage.
For children who are 'person creating' (Stonehouse 1988), it is important that practitioners plan transitions in ways that encourage children to see themselves as worthwhile people who know that they are consulted and their wishes and feelings considered and cared for by others.
Practitioners can do this by:
* ensuring that detailed plans are made for gradual introductions to a new group or setting over a prolonged period of time that suits the child and their family
* structuring the day so that adult- imposed changes in environment and activity are minimal
* building in time for making any necessary transitions, such as between playing and eating, or sleeping and waking, or being indoors and going out on a visit
* giving warnings and choices, for example, 'When we have finished eating tea, it will be time to get ready to go home', or 'Would you like to have some fruit before you paint or afterwards?'
References and further reading
References
* Howes, C, Phillips, D A, and Whitebook, M (1992) Thresholds of Quality: Implications for the social development of children in centre-based childcare. Child Development 63, pp449-460
* Manning-Morton, J and Thorp, M (2001) Key Times: A framework for developing high-quality provision for children under three years. London: Camden EYDCP/ University of North London
* Manning-Morton, J and Thorp, M (2003) Key Times for Play: The first three years. Maidenhead: Open University Press
* Raikes, H (1993) Relationship Duration in Infant Care: Time with a high-ability teacher and infant-teacher attachment. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, no8, pp309-325
* Sure Start (2002) Birth to Three Matters: A framework to support children in their earliest years. DfES.
Further reading
* Abbott, L and Moylett, H (1997) Working with the Under-threes: Responding to children's needs. Bucks: Open University Press
* Elfer, P, Goldschmied, E and Selleck, D (2003) Key Person Relationships in Nursery. London: Sage
* Goldschmied, E and Jackson, S (1994) People Under Three: Young children in day care. London: Routledge
* Greenman, J and Stonehouse, A (1996) Trusting toddlers: Programming for one- to three-year-olds in childcare centres. Melbourne: Australian Early Childhood Association
* Stonehouse, A (ed) (1988) Prime Times: A handbook for excellence in infant-toddler programs. St Paul, USA: Redleaf Press
* Lieberman, A (1993) The Emotional Life of the Toddler New York: Free Press
* Sure Start (2002) Birth to Three Matters: A framework to support children in their earliest years. DfES. The Stationery Office, 0870 600 5522, email book.orders@tso.co.uk
* Julia Manning-Morton's Nursery World series 'Birth to Three - Your guide to developing quality provision' is now available as a complete pack, priced 8.99. To order, call 0870 444 8633 or visit www.nurseryworld.co.uk