Anyone with a three year old knows that this particular phase of baby growth and development is fun, exciting, and diverse! Cognitive, creative, behavioral, motor - there doesn’t seem to be an end to the a wide range of baby development achievements that comes with this special phase in your child’s life. If you have a baby who’s three years old, you may begin to notice that he or she is:

• Slowly beginning to recognize the passing of time and how it works -- words like “now,” “later,” “tomorrow,” and other time-specific phrases will start to have meaning
• Demonstrating an understanding of spatial awareness -- children at this age begin to start moving objects in their way or walking around them rather than tripping on whatever is in their path
• Learning empathy -- children at this phase of baby growth seem to start feeling sorry for others’ discomfort or sadness
• Willingly sharing objects and toys as well as understanding how to successfully take turns with others

Another significant milestone with many children at three? A sudden shift from solitary play to social interaction with others. Not only do many toddlers at this age enjoy playing with others, they often begin to seek out this type of engagement with minimal encouragement.

Understanding Your Child’s Grammar Skills at this Stage of Baby Growth

Your three year old is learning new words all the time, but may still be struggling to master articulation and grammar. Remember, learning a new language at any age can prove challenging; many toddlers often find themselves struggling with some of the many rules that make up ours! Misusing the past tense, pronouns, and plurals are just some of the many grammatical missteps you may find yourself encountering with your little one. Instead of pointing out their mistakes, simply repeat the sentence using the right syntax. Eventually they’ll be able to catch on without your help.

Playing with and Helping Your Baby at Three Years Old

Ready to help your child master the development and growth milestones that are swiftly approaching? Try:

• Broadening social engagement by signing up for routine playgroups and setting up play dates at your home
• Get moving -- work with your child to climb, hop, and stand on her tippy toes to help strengthen motor skills, balance and coordination
• Start helping him understand the differences between storybook characters and everyday life encounters
• Using lots of praise for independent behavior -- getting dressed on her own, using the potty alone and even beginning some of the bedtime routine without help should all warrant encouragement and positive reinforcement

Managing Lying with Your Three Year Old

It’s not at all uncommon for toddlers at age three to begin telling their first little lies -- whether it’s to avoid getting into trouble or to cadge an extra dessert, many children at this age find that manipulating the truth can be used to their advantage. An effective way to manage your child’s lying is to reinforce positive behavior rather than punishing the lie to help encourage your little one to tell the truth at all times.