Twenty three month old toddler: Preparing for the Second Birthday

Preparing for a second birthday can involve more than a celebration. It can be a useful reminder to review development, update everyday safety and gather questions for the next health visit. You do not need to schedule every change in feeding, sleep or toileting for the same week.

Gather examples from ordinary days

Note how your child communicates a request, joins play and moves around familiar spaces. You might include a short phrase they use, how they manage a spoon or how they respond when another person is upset. Describe what happens without coaching your child to perform for the record.

The upcoming two year checkpoint includes combining two words, identifying familiar pictures or body parts when asked, running and kicking a ball. These are observations to discuss at that age. They do not replace professional screening or explain why a child may be finding something difficult.

Raise concerns before the birthday

If earlier skills are missing, communication worries you or an ability disappears, ask for advice now. Our vocabulary guide explains why understanding, gestures and everyday use of language matter alongside a word count.

Developmental regression needs prompt assessment. A birthday can be a reminder to make an appointment, but it should never be used as a reason to delay one that is already needed.

Check which review is due locally

Review schedules vary. In England, the health visiting review is generally offered between two and two and a half years. It covers development, growth and daily care, with an opportunity to discuss family concerns. Other countries use different visits and screening schedules.

Check your child’s record and local service arrangements. If a questionnaire is sent in advance, answer from what you observe and ask for help with anything unclear. It is more useful to identify an unfamiliar activity than to repeatedly rehearse it until a score looks reassuring.

Make toileting a supported learning process

You can introduce familiar words about wees and poos, look at a book together and provide comfortable opportunities to practise with suitable equipment. Ask your health visitor for a plan if you are unsure how to begin or your child needs adaptations.

Do not make complete dryness by the birthday a test of success. Learning takes practice, and night dryness is separate from daytime progress. Constipation or painful stools should be addressed with professional help rather than treated as refusal.

Update the practical details

Recheck what can be opened or reached at home and how food is served. Greater confidence does not remove choking hazards. Keep adult help with tooth brushing, and make sure other caregivers know any current health or feeding plan.

Our twenty two month guide offers a way to review meals and sleep. Choose changes that solve a real difficulty rather than following a list of things a child supposedly must stop doing as soon as they turn two.