7 Things a Typical Child Will Do

Lalita Dainik
Aug 28, 2017 · 5 min read

Early research by The College of Family Physicians of Canada has revealed that the behaviour of children is to a large degree determined by parental attitudes, which in turn is determined by several factors, such as the parents’ own childrearing, as well as parental temperament, bonding with the child. Of course, labeling a child’s behaviour as normal or “abnormal” is also determined by what society deems acceptable and unacceptable. Based on all of this, Healthy Children.org categorises childhood behaviour into three general types:

1. Wanted or approved behaviour, such as being polite, helping in household chores and doing homework.

2. Behaviour that might not be approved but is tolerated in certain circumstances, such as during illness or while under stress. Such behaviour could include refusing to do chores, excessively self-centred behaviour or regressive behaviour, like baby talk.

3. Then there are behaviours that are neither acceptable or tolerated, and therefore should not be reinforced. These include actions that could be emotionally or physically harmful or impact the social wellbeing of the child or others. They also include behaviour that is not acceptable due to ethics, laws, religion and social norms.

So, what we need to remember is that behaviour is labeled as “normal” based on the expectations of the family, community, specific cultural norms and values. At the same time, there are some traits and behaviours that emerge due to growth and development, which is why it is useful for all parents to keep a development milestones chart handy.

Here’s a look at some things you can expect from a typical toddler.

1. Impulsiveness

How often have you had to correct your little one when they interrupt your conversation with someone else? Or, have you found that s/he is unable to stop themselves when they see something they like, such as a food treat or a toy? Impulse control is something that will develop with time. As a parent, you can help by rewarding them each time they wait for your conversation to end to say something or delaying gratification when they want a treat. You can also aid their brain and physical development by adding a fortified milk powder, like Enfagrow A+, packed with essential nutrients such as DHA, Vitamin B, Choline, Iron, Zinc and Iodine.

2. Testing Boundaries

This is something almost all parents of toddlers have experienced! Part of the learning about their environment and what they can and cannot get away with is that toddlers test their limits, and, many a times, that of their parents! This might mean doing something even after you’ve said “no,” or simply exploring the world beyond the limits you’ve set for them. While it might be tempting to let them learn on their own, as a parent, it is important for you to establish age-appropriate boundaries, whether it is how much screen-time they are allowed on a mobile device or not going away till they’ve put all their toys away. This is how they will learn about societal and cultural norms and acceptable behaviour.

3. Temper Tantrums

Regardless of how frustrating it can be, temper tantrums and huffy fits are all part of growing normal childhood development. No wonder it is called the Terrible Twos! If you check the development milestones chart, you will see that by the age of 2, while a child might have picked up quite a vocabulary, they still might not be able to completely express themselves or understand strong emotions. Throwing a tantrum could be a way to relieving that pent up emotions or help you understand what they are experiencing. While it is much easier to give in, just to get the tantrum to stop, parents should be consistent and firm about reinforcing acceptable behaviour. This is the time your child is learning to interact with the world, so help them learn how to do so the right way.

4. Making Friends

On a more positive note, this is also at the time when most children start preschool, playing with other children in the park and interacting socially. Therefore, this is the time when they start forming relationships outside the tight family circle. Playing together, sharing toys, team work, etc., are all positive traits that can develop at this time, provided you supervise, encourage and reinforce positive behaviour. This is also the time to ensure that their immunity is strong, since they will be around other children or in the outdoors. Make sure you include a fortified milk powder in their daily diet that contains the essential nutrients and micronutrients to promote both immunity and development, such as Enfagrow A+.

5. Possessiveness

With the development of a sense of self, you will also observe that your child is learning concepts like “mine,” “yours,” etc. This means that they are learning about what belongs to them and a normal extension of this is to feel possessive about what they see is theirs. So, if there is a sibling, they might not want their parents to pay too much attention to the sibling or take another child in their lap. They might get upset if other children play with their toys and so on. Again, as parents, it is important to understand why they are being what we see as “selfish” and help them overcome the anxiety associated with sharing.

6. Aggression

Unfortunately, this too is a part of the growth process. Kicking, biting, hitting might emerge as ways to cope with anger. As a parent, you need to help your child learn to deal with strong emotions and frustration. Work with them to help them see what is leading to a specific emotion, such as explaining to them that they might be angry because another child is not playing the way they want the child to play. Empathising, while showing appropriate ways to deal with strong emotions is important at this stage because it lays the foundations of how they will cope later in life.

7. Exaggerating the Truth

Little lies and exaggeration of an experience might seem cute when your little one is a toddler but not correcting this tendency can lead to long term consequences. It can become a spontaneous behaviour if the child sees that lying can not only get them out of trouble, it can make them look better in the eyes of other people. As they say, there is the easy way and the right way. What you need to do as parents is to reinforce the right way.

According to research published in the journal of Social Behavior and Personality, there was a statistically “positive relationship between interpersonal skills and emotional regulation, school readiness, social confidence and family involvement.” It is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, where every little piece goes in to complete the entire picture. So, without labeling behaviour as “abnormal,” keep a check on the developmental milestones chart and help your child grow into an adult you will be proud of.

Reference Links:

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/326-toddlers-and-challenging-behavior-why-they-do-it-and-how-to-respond

https://www.todaysparent.com/toddler/toddlers-bad-behaviour-normal/

https://www.everydayfamily.com/what-is-normal-toddler-development/

http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/problems-you-shouldnt-ignore/

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Normal-Child-Behavior.aspx

https://www.healthyplace.com/parenting/challenge-of-difficult-children/how-kids-grow-defining-normal-behavior/

http://oureverydaylife.com/normal-child-behavior-development-2386.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2306260/

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