As your toddler's second birthday approaches you most probably feel a mix of emotions. You just wonder where all the time has gone by. If you give your baby the freedom and a piece of crayon he/she will gladly decorate your walls with his/her drawings. If you mind that, get his/her some colors and sheets for drawing and let his/her draw. He/she will create a few designs and enjoy doing this. It is a good way to keep his/her occupied, but be sure to keep an eye on his/her because if he/she runs out of paper your walls could be in danger.

His/her communication skills would have improved and most of your family can understand almost all that he/she says. He/she will also most probably be comfortable using a cup. If you want to check how your child is doing check out the developmental milestone link below.

Growth evaluation of a toddler is not just restricted to weight gain alone, but includes other measures. Your pediatrician evaluates your child's growth based on these parameters. There is no definite normal value for each of these parameters but only a range. Each parameter is considered alone and your child's growth is assigned a 'percentile'. Your pediatrician will measure these every month ,plot your toddler's growth chart and let you know if this is in the normal range.

1. The three parameters measured are height, weight and head circumference.
2. Each child will have different growth rates of growth.
3. Don't worry if your baby is smaller as long as your pediatrician says he/she is growing normally.
4. Factors other than just nutrition, like heredity and genetic factors also play a role in how big or small a child is.
5. It is important to have your child's growth monitored regularly as you can then pick up any growth problems at the earliest.