In the second year of life the baby is very different from the helpless package that his relatives brought from the hospital. The second year of life is notable, first of all, for the improvement of the basic movements of the child, especially walking; his extraordinary mobility; the rapid and diverse development of object-game behavior. The crumb's speech develops very quickly, but he still understands those around him better than he speaks. At the end of the second year of life, in the active dictionary of the baby, there are already from 200 to 300 words, that is, his speech can already be considered as the main means of communication with adults.
The child already has good skills of independent movement, and now he can easily get to places and objects that were previously inaccessible to him. Now the baby is a researcher and test. He considers everything, touches; he knows the contents of both the kitchen cabinet and the bookcase, and endlessly carries out experiments with the things around him to establish their size, shape and even strength.
Such experiences cause a lot of anxiety for parents; they have to constantly monitor the location and actions of the child. However, they should not be annoyed, but rejoice at his desire to learn this world, creating all conditions for the baby. First of all, you need to take care of the safety of the crumbs, taking away medicines, cutting, stitching and breaking objects, and cover electrical outlets with special plugs.
In fact, it is very easy to find a compromise between the child’s desire to explore every corner of the house and the desire of the parents to protect him from injuries, and property - from spoilage. For example, you can make a simple rearrangement in kitchen cabinets: after finding a place for breakable objects and products on the upper shelves, leave the lower ones for pots, enameled bowls and plastic utensils. It is better to place children's books with pictures on the coffee table, and various boxes, toys, etc., in the non-closing drawers of the desk.
Motor activity of the child in the second year of life
A healthy baby of this age is characterized by constant movement during wakefulness. It is mobility that is one of the main incentives for the child to develop, it gives him the opportunity to get acquainted with the world around him, and contributes to the mental development of the child. With the muscular work accompanying the movement, nervous tension is reduced.
Therefore, the mobility of the baby should only please his parents. They need to worry when the child in the second year of life does not show a desire to get acquainted with the world around him, he is inactive and quiet. If the baby is hyperactive, you should restrain his mobility, switching children's attention to entertaining, but more relaxed games.
The higher the motor activity of the crumbs becomes, the more important is the quality of the shoes that they put on. However, at home it is necessary to let him walk barefoot. The fact is that walking barefoot promotes the development of foot muscles. At this age, the arches of the children's foot are formed, and when the plantar surface of the foot makes contact with the floor, it sensitively reacts to the nature of the surface. This contributes to the tension of the small muscles involved in the formation of the arches. When a child constantly wears shoes, these natural physiological moments simply do not have the ability to influence his development.
To help the baby in his second year of life expand his motor abilities and master more complex movements, parents should not limit his desire for constant movement, unless the action that he planned does not pose him any danger.
During this period of time, the child will learn not only to ascend, but also to descend from it, overcome a low obstacle, run, and all the time while he will master these skills, parents should help him and, if necessary, hedge. However, when the baby falls, you should not show him your fright and run to him at all costs, it is better to give him the opportunity to get up on his own. The efforts that he will make will not only strengthen his muscles, but will also allow him to gain invaluable experience of behavior on the street and next time to go around the place where he was in trouble.
It must be remembered that, mastering various types of movement, the child gains confidence in his abilities, he develops his courage, quick wits and tenacity in achieving the goal, so he should always meet the encouragement of his physical activity and the necessary help of his relatives.
The development of the child's speech in the second year of life
In the development of the child’s speech, two directions should be distinguished: the baby learns the meanings of words and learns to pronounce them. As we said at the beginning, understanding at this age develops ahead of active pronunciation.
To develop the active speech of the child, parents should talk more with him and use simple sentences. It is necessary to teach him to ask for the things he needs, this will help to strengthen the need for communication with adults and interest in independent pronunciation of words. It is also very useful to play short scenes with toys in which the actions of all participants are accompanied by a speech.
Child plays in the second year of life
For a long time, until the beginning of school life, the game will be for the child the most effective and affordable means of mental, physical and emotional development. Skills of independent play do not immediately appear in him; first, parents must play with him. But over time, the kid will want to choose the plot of the game and establish rules in it.
Children over one year old love to play outdoor games. It is especially useful to carry them out in the fresh air. The kid can already walk without a stroller, and will explore everything that he encounters on his way. If it does not look like a cigarette butt, a piece of glass, or another dangerous or dirty thing, you do not need to pull it. If the baby’s interest nevertheless causes an undesirable item, you should gently switch his attention to something else.
Ball games are very useful for a child of this age. They contribute to the development of dexterity, eye, improve coordination of movements and bring the child great pleasure. The baby in the second year of life knows how to throw and push the ball, and also tries to catch and hold it.
At the same time, outdoor games should be alternated with calm ones and allotted enough time for the baby to concentrate on his toys. Folding his pencils, removing and putting wheels on cars or disassembling them for parts, he develops fine motor skills of his fingers, which is extremely useful for the development of his nervous system and speech.
In this period of its development, the child can play with picture books for a long time. He already has his favorite images, and in the photo he recognizes people in whose society he spends a lot of time.
Of course, the baby already at this age needs its own corner. However, one should not clutter him with toys, since their abundance will scatter the child's attention, in addition, he is not yet able to maintain order there. You should give him several toys and periodically change them, and keep the rest separately.
At this time, it is important to teach the child to be alone in the room, and the easiest way to do this is when he plays enthusiastically. If adults are inseparably next to the child, he will subsequently be afraid to be left alone, which will create a lot of difficulties. Therefore, one should teach the crumb to overcome this fear, encouraging its independence and gradually lengthening the periods when it remains alone.
Toys of the child in the second year of life
The correct selection of game material allows the child not only to have fun, but also to actively acquire and develop various skills and get acquainted with the various manifestations of the world around him.
First of all, at this age the child loves to build, so you need to make sure that he has enough "building materials" - cubes.
It will be useful to get a trolley on a string or with a handle, which he will carry with him, loading and unloading, because at this time the baby is happy to push everything, pull it, carry it.
In the second year of life, the child is already starting to draw, so it is necessary that he has colored pencils or crayons. This lesson is also useful for parents, because while the crumb will present himself as an artist, they will receive several precious minutes of peace.
After a year and a half, a child needs toys that develop sleight of hand, for example, molds with different sizes and colors that can be inserted into each other. You should also make sure that he has everything necessary for playing in the sandbox: a shovel, a rake, a scoop, a bucket, etc.
It is useful to buy situational toys for the baby, because with the help of airplanes, cars, houses, garages, dolls, children's dishes, etc. he will be able to reproduce the actions of adults, studying their world.
An irreplaceable toy for a baby of this age is a ball. First, the child needs to be introduced to the possibilities of its use, to play with him, to connect other children to the game. However, if the baby makes mistakes, you should not rebuke him, but it is better to offer him more work out.
In the second year of life, the child will already be able to use a scooter, which is useful for increasing the motor activity of children and the development of motor reactions in them. It is necessary to ensure that he periodically changes his leg, which he pushes off the ground, so that physical activity is distributed evenly. The choice of scooter is determined by the growth of the child.
If the baby shows interest in a tricycle, then you can buy it. Most likely, this will happen at the end of the second year of life. Cycling is good for strengthening muscles and exercising balance. The task of parents is to fit the bike to the growth of the baby so that he does not bend much when riding. In skating, you need to take breaks and give the crumbs every 15-20 minutes the opportunity to direct their energy into other types of physical activity, for example, run, play with the ball, or just relax.
In winter, sledges will be an excellent entertainment for the baby. Moreover, you don’t need to ride him all the time, you should help the child only when he climbs the mountain with them, and the rest of the time let him work and push them himself.
As you can see, the second year of the baby’s life will bring him significant changes in both the physical and the intellectual sphere of his development. But one thing will remain unchanged for many long years: his need for your love, in your understanding and in your confidence in his strengths and abilities. It is this confidence and great patience of parents that are the main condition for the successful development of the child.
