24-30 Months: It's About Trust -- Milestones

1. Shows need for familiar adult's approval and also acts independently.

Toddlers often switch between trying to be in charge and independent while still needing the reassurance and physical closeness of their primary caregivers. They are interested in exploring and trying new things, and insist on doing things "by self" even when something is too hard for them. They often refuse help, but they continue to rely on the presence of familiar adults to feel secure and able to try new things. For example:

Developing as expected, they might:

• hold on tightly to a familiar adult at first, then gradually let go in order to inspect the toy truck that is nearby
• climb out of their parent's lap, then back in, then out again to see what the other children are doing with the building blocks
• cry after they've fallen down and scraped a knee, then run for comfort and a bandage
• climb happily to the top of the slide, but look to the teacher or caregiver for reassurance before sliding down
• reach for a hug when told that their parent is about to leave, look around for their big sister or the teacher, then go back to playing
• struggle all the way across the street to free their hand, which the caregiver insists on holding
• get their own shirt out of the drawer and put it on by themselves, all the while announcing their progress to a family member announcing their progress

Needing development, they might:

• cling and cry on the playground and refuse to get near the slide unless the caregiver goes with them
• stand "frozen" beside a familiar adult when he or she puts them down from his or her lap
• quickly climb into a caregiver's lap when they hear a loud siren going by and not get down even after the siren has stopped
• stop playing and run to a caregiver when several children start yelling, and not go back to playing unless the caregiver goes, too

2. Shows cautious interest in unfamiliar adults.

Toddlers often respond hesitantly when meeting new adults, even if the adult is a relative, if they haven't seen him or her for a long time. New people are both an attraction and a challenge. Some toddlers seem to worry more now than when they were younger as they try to integrate their need for assurance and their desire to explore and investigate. The way toddlers react to new people depends on many different factors, including their own personality type, how much experience they have had meeting new people, and how the new person approaches them. For example:

Developing as expected, they might:

• look at the floor when a new person talks to them
• wave to the trash collector as he drives by in his truck
• tell a new caregiver their name, but only in a whisper
• allow a relative they haven't seen for a while to help them put on their jacket
• cling to their father's pants leg when they are introduced to a relative they don't remember
• say hi to the person waiting beside them at the corner to cross the street
• keep playing with their trucks in the sand pile, while keeping an eye on the stranger talking to their caregiver in the yard
• approach a new person after their caregiver has talked with him or her for a while

Needing development, they might:

• hide behind the door and not come out when a new person arrives
• climb into their caregiver's lap and not let go until the new person leaves
• go right up to a new person and start talking, even climbing into his or her lap
• show no reaction to the arrival of a new person
• stand silently and look at a new person with an expression of fearfulness
• run to a caregiver's side, but not walk with him or her to greet the new person