Stage18–24 m
18-24 months
Six months that take them from dozens of words to hundreds
The turning point for language. It is also the start of the terrible twos, because the gap between what they want and what they can control is at its widest. These are the same phenomenon.
What to feed
- Milk
- Whole milk 350-500ml a day.
- Meal pattern
- Three meals and two snacks, the same dishes as everyone else.
Can start eating
- Almost anything, cut to a safe size
- After age 2, lower-fat milk if weight is on the high side
Not yet
- Whole nuts, hard sweets, jelly cups, popcorn (all best avoided before age 4)
- Sugary drinks
- Salty, oily processed food
Worth knowing
- Peak fussiness. Keep offering, do not force, do not comment. Skipping a meal is survivable
- Fixed place and time for meals, no eating while playing
- Put at least one accepted food on the plate alongside anything new
- The "no" is often not about the food. It is practice at saying no
How much sleep
11-14 hours a day
- Daytime
- One nap of 1-3 hours
Bedtime stalling begins: one more drink, one more wee, one more book. Agree the number in advance, then hold it kindly.
Vaccines in this stage
Hepatitis A (live)1 dose
18 months · National programme (free)
The inactivated version requires two doses
DTaPDose 4
18 months · National programme (free)
MMRDose 2
18 months · National programme (free)
What most children do by now
Gross motor
- Runs steadily
- Goes up and down stairs holding on, both feet per step
- Kicks and throws a ball
- Walks backwards
Fine motor
- Stacks 4-6 blocks
- Turns handles and unscrews lids
- Scribbles with direction
Language
- Vocabulary jumps from 50 to 200+
- Two-word phrases: "want water", "mummy up"
- Understands two-step instructions
Social and cognitive
- Pretend play appears, such as feeding a doll
- Strong insistence on doing it themselves
- Says no, has tantrums
This is what most children manage in this window, not a pass mark. A few months either way is common. The signals worth acting on are in the doctor section below.
Height and weight reference for this ageWhen to see a doctor
If any of these apply, do not wait for the next routine check.
- Fewer than 50 words at 24 months, or no two-word phrases
- No pretend play
- No eye contact, no pointing, no shared interest
- Clearly abnormal gait or frequent falls
- Skill regression
- No interaction with adults or other children at all
What to practise
- 01
Offer real choices
How · Not "do you want shoes on" but "blue ones or red ones". Two options, both acceptable to you.
Why · Met need for autonomy means less opposition. This is the cheapest tool in behaviour management.
- 02
Pretend play
How · Toy phone, small pots and bowls. Follow their script — if they feed the doll, ask whether the doll is full.
Why · Pretend play is the start of abstract thought and closely tracks language development.
- 03
Fifteen minutes of shared reading
How · Let them choose the book, allow the same one a hundred times, and stop to ask "what is that?"
Why · The repetition is not waste. Predictability is precisely what they are getting out of a book at this age.
Day to day
- Watch for toilet training readiness (dry for two hours, interest in the toilet, able to say they need to go), but there is no hurry — 18 to 30 months is all normal
- Two-year check: language review and autism screening (M-CHAT is commonly done at 18 and 24 months)
- Screen time: after age 2, under an hour a day, and watched together
- Outdoor time has strong evidence behind it for preventing short-sightedness
Common questions
- Is there a shortcut through the terrible twos?
- No shortcut, but there are cheaper routes: cut non-essential commands to no more than three non-negotiables a day, use choices instead of orders, stay present rather than reasoning during a meltdown, and protect sleep and meal timing — tiredness and hunger drive about 80% of the collapses.
- When should toilet training start?
- By signals, not by age. Dry for two hours, interested in the toilet, able to say they need to go, able to pull their own trousers down. Wait for that cluster and it goes much faster. Starting early usually just makes the campaign longer.