Your youngster is three years old! Three-year-olds aren’t scared to ask questions and want to know how things works. But that doesn’t imply you have to know everything. Just thinking and exploring your child’s interests together may be a lot of fun. Try responding, “I don’t know,” when your youngster asks a question such, “Why is the sky blue?” Before diving into a scientific explanation, what do you think? Find a children’s book about the subject that you can read with them if they have a lot of questions about it and you don’t know the answers.
Your 36-month-old infant may exhibit a variety of behaviors. You may see that they are getting out of bed every night or that they are having tantrums every day. Given that they are still growing and learning how to interact with the outside world, these behaviors are typical for a 36-month-old. From recommended feeding patterns to which 36-month-old milestones to watch out for, we’ve compiled a list of useful tips and tactics to assist you navigate this unfamiliar environment. Read on for tips on what to anticipate and what you could go through when your child turns three.
3-Year-Old Development
When your child is three years old, it’s time for a comprehensive examination with the pediatrician to ensure that their growth and development are proceeding as planned.
3-Year-Old Weight & Height
A 36-month-old girl typically weighs 30.7 pounds, while a male typically weighs 31.8 pounds. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average height for boys and girls is around 37.5 and 37.1 inches, respectively.
The doctor will plot your child’s height and weight on a 3-year-old growth chart during the examination. Along with a curve representing average growth for each weight and height percentile, the chart displays a child’s measurements at each visit. This will assist the physician in verifying that your child’s growth is occurring at a healthy pace.
3-Year-Old Milestones
You ask, “What should my 36-month-old be doing?” If your toddler hasn’t already, here are several 36-month-old milestones you may anticipate in the upcoming weeks, ranging from learning to piece together multi-word sentences to becoming toilet trained.
- Speech. Your three-year-old is probably talking a lot. They’re most likely saying a range of phrases and forming sentences with three or even four words (“Go outside now!”). Actually, a 3-year-old should be able to identify at least 1,000 words. (And they may prefer the word “why.” It’s generally nothing to worry about if your three-year-old is stuttering, mispronouncing words, or using poor grammar. Proper speaking is still something they are learning. However, you should discuss any concerns with the doctor so they can monitor you.
- Motor skills. Your three-year-old ought to have no trouble running and climbing. They can likely balance on one foot for around three seconds and climb and descend stairs one foot at a time without the use of a railing. Additionally, your child need to be able to pedal a tricycle.
- Potty training. It’s quite an achievement to potty train a three-year-old. Even if your child remains dry during the day, you may discover that things are different at night. At this age, bedwetting is not an issue. Indeed, some children pee the bed until they are seven years old. (That’s why they produce training pants for the evening.)
Concerned that your child’s growth isn’t proceeding as planned? To determine if your kid is on level with their classmates, you can review the CDC’s 36-month-old developmental checklist. In order to assess if your kid may be delayed or require more developmental support, the physician should ask you a number of questions at the three-year checkup. You can discuss any worries you may have here, such if a 3-year-old is showing symptoms of autism.
3-Year-Old Behavior
- Meltdowns and tantrums. Even while a three-year-old has a clear notion of what they want to achieve, such as building a huge block tower, they may not necessarily have the physical aptitude or abilities to do the task as effectively as they had planned. Tears and frustration could result from that. Although you are officially no longer in your terrible twos, you are still having tantrums.
- Separation anxiety. Drop-offs at school or at Grandma’s place may become very dramatic for a 3-year-old with separation anxiety. You may feel bad about them, but if you keep them close to you all the time, your child will never move on. Saying farewell should be brief and nice. Tell your youngster what you will do together and what time you will return. And before you go, try not to linger.
- Other 3-year-old behavioral issues. According to the majority of parents we spoke with in an unofficial survey, age three is worse than age two. Hearing about a three-year-old biting, escaping from their parents in public, and breaching other norms that we assumed they would understand by now is not shocking. How do you make a three-year-old pay attention? Keep in mind that everything is a process. Setting clear rules and age-appropriate consequences is the key to disciplining a three-year-old; getting upset is not the answer.
3-Year-Old Health
Parents are always quite concerned about their children’s health, and this age is no exception. Parents of 36-month-olds frequently ask the following health-related questions:
- I have diarrhea in my three-year-old. What ought I to do?
- Constipation is plaguing my 3-year-old. What ought I to do?
- My three-year-old has started vomiting. What ought I to do?
- My three-year-old is coughing. What ought I to do?
- My three-year-old is feverish. What ought I to do?
3-Year-Old Food
With lower quantities, the recommended diet for a 3-year-old is quite comparable to the ideal diet for the rest of the family.
How Much Should My 3-Year-Old Be Eating?
Three meals and two snacks a day are still recommended for three-year-olds. Every day, provide them with a range of foods from every dietary group, including grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and protein. Eat more meals that are high in nutrients and steer clear of junk food and sugary drinks as much as you can.
How Many Calories Does a 3-Year-Old Need?
For two and three-year-olds, doctors recommend around 1,000 calories per day, but you shouldn’t have to count. Because they are skilled at judging their own hunger, your kid may be more hungry and require more calories during periods of increased exertion or a growth spurt. Rather, think of your child’s daily intake as consisting of around 1 cup of fruit, 1 cup of vegetables, 3 ounces of grains, 2 ounces of protein, and roughly 2 cups of dairy.
How Much Milk Should a 3-Year-Old Drink?
Make it two cups if they don’t receive dairy from other sources. However, your child may require less milk if they are consuming a lot of cheese and yogurt, for instance, or if you are nursing your three-year-old. To get a customized advice, speak with the pediatrician.
What to Feed My 36-Month-Old
Searching for ideas for a delicious and nourishing meal? Take a look at these 3-year-old meal suggestions:
- 22 Simple, Delicious Lunch Ideas for Kids
- The word is Yum! 24 Nutritious Kids’ Snacks
- 15 Ingenious Toddler Meal Ideas
- Five Simple Weeknight Dinners for Working Mothers
3-Year-Old Sleep
A three-year-old may have trouble falling asleep. Maintain the schedule and don’t stray from it. Simply sing one more song and bid them good night when you say, “One more song.”
How Much Sleep Does a 3-Year-Old Need?
The average 3-year-old requires between 10 and 13 hours of sleep each day, including sleep throughout the day. Some children at this age are still taking afternoon naps for an hour or two, while others are consciously giving up naps completely. Thus, modify your child’s routine appropriately. For instance, adjust your 36-month-old’s bedtime a bit earlier if they aren’t napping. Additionally, if they are napping, avoid letting them sleep for too long or too late in the afternoon since this may make it difficult for them to go asleep at night.
3-Year-Old Sleep Problems
At this age, sleep regression is typical. Experts advise brief, professional visits for a 3-year-old who is waking up during the night. Stated differently, provide them water if they’re thirsty or console them if they’ve had a nightmare, but don’t stay for too long. After giving your youngster a good night kiss, leave the room. According to experts, if your 3-year-old refuses to remain in bed, you should constantly guide them back to their own bed in order to help them stop the habit.Night terrors may ruin a family’s evenings when a child is three years old. A youngster may start to weep, scream, sit up, walk, or flail during a night terror. Even though they appear to be talking, they are not awake. Fortunately, a youngster doesn’t recall these incidents the next day, so they are more distressing to you. As children go from a deep sleep phase to a lighter one, this occurs. Keep your kid secure, try to soothe them, and put them back to bed if they have night terrors. Don’t attempt to wake them up. Eventually, your youngster will outgrow them.
Activities for 3-Year-Olds
Your three-year-old is gaining some crucial information that will help them prepare for school as they become more imaginative and talkative.
How should a three-year-old be handled? For three-year-olds, entertaining games, activities, and instructive toys include:
- Colorful toys. The colors are being learned by your youngster. Discuss the many colors while you play together with colorful blocks, balls, or Play-Doh. The blocks or balls can also be arranged according to color.
- Nontoxic paints and crayons. It’s likely that your young Picasso is beginning to take satisfaction in producing some lovely artwork. Don’t forget to display a handful of your favorites on the corkboard or refrigerator.
- Music. Continue to sing easy tunes with your child. Three-year-olds like singing nearly as much as they enjoy conversing.
3-Year-Old Baby Checklist and Tips
- Attend your child’s three-year examination.
- Although vaccinations are usually not required for a 3-year-old, you may decide to have your kid receive the flu shot during this visit.
- Around the time of their fourth birthday, schedule your child’s subsequent examination. Every year, well visits should be made for the remainder of their youth.
- If you haven’t already, enroll your child in 3-year-old preschool if you want them to start school this year.
- Visit the library and pick out some new books that offer a different viewpoint and address some of your three-year-old’s most difficult queries.
- Although it’s uncommon, finding a 3-year-old reading is not impossible. Nevertheless, you could see that your youngster is beginning to identify signs and symbols and that they say “stop” or “open” in response to them. This indicates that reading skills are developing. Establish a daily reading routine with your kid to support their reading development.
- Around 36 months of age, toddlers often begin to express an interest in playing with other kids. To promote social connection with other kids their own age, sign up your toddler for playgroups or arrange playdates.
- Even though a lot of 36-month-old babies can talk in whole phrases at this age, they will inevitably make some blunders. Rather of calling out these errors as they occur, just repeat to your child the word or sentence that has been repaired. This enables them to understand without needless annoyance or humiliation.
- Even though a 36-month-old may act like an adult at times, they shouldn’t spend as much time on screens as older kids. Experts advise avoiding more than an hour of screen time each day on TVs, iPads, and cellphones.
- Does your young child have a fear of the dark? This is quite typical for a 36-month-old, so don’t worry. Recognize your child’s anxieties and provide consolation and confidence to assist ease the situation. Establish a calming sleep ritual, provide them a little night light, and provide a security alternative, such as a cuddly bear. To assist ease their worries, you may even use glow-in-the-dark toys to play in the dark.
- Although it would be tempting to tell a wiggly 36-month-old infant to remain quietly, it’s preferable to let toddlers use out their extra energy. Children run about and climb on everything to improve their balance and coordination. Give your kids lots of outside time so they may practice their motor skills.
Like a sponge, a 36-month-old infant picks up new life lessons every day. Your child’s imagination will grow over the course of the upcoming year as they absorb new facts and ask questions every other minute. Encourage their sense of curiosity and show them patience. Time flies, as you are aware, so be sure to enjoy these thrilling times with your kid.