30 Months to 3 Years

Eating and Drinking

Nutrition

  • Provide a well-rounded diet with all the food groups.
  • Make sure the diet meets the age-based requirements of nutrients each day.
  • Encourage high iron-containing foods in the diet to prevent iron deficiency.

Vitamin D

  • Your child now needs 600 IU of vitamin D per day.
    • The vitamin D will can from vitamin D-enriched milk (cow, goat, almond, soy, pea, etc).
  • 16 ounces per day of cow’s milk provides the required vitamin D your child needs.
  • Limit milk to 20 ounces per day. Drinking more than 20 ounces per day will negatively affect your child’s appetite, which can cause nutritional deficiencies.
  • The milk should be given in a cup.
  • The milk should be given throughout the day with meals and snacks, just like big kids and adults drink it.
  • Your child does not need juice, unless it's being used to treat constipation.
    • If you do give your child juice, serve all-natural 100% fruit juice

Water

  • Offer your child water freely throughout the day.
  • Don’t worry if they don’t want to drink, this simply means they aren’t thirsty.
    • Please note that the amount of water needed daily may vary by individual and may need to be adjusted depending on levels of activity and environmental conditions like heat and humidity.

Mealtime

  • We recommend 3 meals and 1-2 snacks per day.
  • Avoid letting your child “graze” on food throughout the day.
    • This will negatively affect the appetite and can worry parents that their child “doesn’t eat enough” at mealtimes.
  • Eat meals together as a family when possible.
  • Avoid distractions during mealtimes, which many parents use to get their child to eat more.
    • We want your child to pay attention to their own hunger level, rather than eating out of distraction.
  • Common distractions to avoid: TV, screens (phone/iPad), pets, music.
  • If your child cleans their plate, offer more!
    • Provided there are no distractions, you can trust your child to eat when hungry, and stop when full.
  • Avoid small, hard foods that can cause choking—nuts, popcorn, hot dogs, grapes, and hard, raw veggies.

Strategies For Picky Eaters

  • Most caregivers will experience concerns about picky eating between 12 and 36 months of life.
  • See our article on picky eating for more information.

Development

Gross Motor Skills

  • At 3 years of age, your child is much more coordinated and can hop and stand on one foot
  • Your child can throw a ball overhead and kick a ball
  • Your child can pedal a tricycle (please don't forget a helmet!)

Fine Motor Skills

  • Your child can cut things while supervised using child safe scissors
  • Your child can copy simple shapes such a s a circle or square

Language Skills

  • By 3 your child should be talking in at least 3 word sentences
  • Language should be 75% understandable to strangers
  • Your child will ask many questions and continue to follow them up with "Why?"
  • Their imagination and rapidly expanding language acquisition will allow them to start telling stories 
    • You may notice that they have a clearer sense of time and are able to recall memories
  • Continue talking to your child all the time and reading together every day

Social/Emotional Skills

  • Three can be a magical time filled with a budding imagination, but with this new found imagination can come fears and nightmares.
  • Your child will engage in pretend play or make believe play, often pretending to be mom or dad
  • Your child will cooperate and share better with other children, and will help problem solve conflicts

Tips for Social/ Emotional Development

  • Continue to set boundaries and not go back on what you say
  • Offer choices when you can, limit to two options.
  • Encourage your child to solve her own problems with your support. Ask questions to help her understand the problem. Help her think of solutions, try one out, and try more if needed.
  • Talk about your child’s emotions and give him words to help him explain how he’s feeling. Help your child manage stressful feelings by teaching him to take deep breaths, hug a favorite toy, or go to a quiet, safe place when he is upset.
  • Set a few simple and clear rules that your child can follow, such as use gentle hands when playing. If he breaks a rule, show him what to do instead. Later, if your child follows the rule, recognize and congratulate him.

Other Guidance

Sleep

  • Behavioral sleep issues may arise (or be persisting), such as:
    • Delaying or stalling bedtime by asking for something i.e. “One more book” or “I need more water” (referred to as limit-setting behavioral insomnia)
    • Requiring specific conditions (your presence, a certain stuffed animal, etc) in order to fall asleep, or fall back asleep after waking up overnight (referred to as sleep-onset association behavioral insomnia)
    • This linked article has excellent information for parents that may need help managing these issues.
  • For information on other common toddler sleep problems and how to best handle them check out this article.

Dental Care

  • Apply a pea sized amount of fluoride-based toothpaste to a soft toothbrush.
    • Press the toothpaste into the bristles to prevent your child from sucking the toothpaste right off of the brush.
  • Most toothpaste specifically labeled for “babies” does not contain fluoride. 
    • Please make sure you buy toothpaste that does contain fluoride, even if labeled for “children.”
  • Brush teeth once in the morning and once before bed. 
  • It is normal for your child to resist having their teeth brushed. The following strategies may be helpful:
    • Allow your child to brush their teeth first then follow up by brushing their teeth for them. 
    • Make up a silly song about brushing teeth. 
    • Some children resist brushing less if brushing teeth while their siblings or parents are doing so as well.
    • If these methods fail, don’t be afraid to bring in another caregiver to restrain your child while you brush their teeth.
      • Sometimes it needs to be a two-person operation!
  • Your child should regularly see the dentist

Common Illnesses and Injuries

Safety

  • Keep your child’s car safety seat rear-facing until your child is 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the car safety seat’s manufacturer. Once they are forward facing they should remain in their forward facing 5 point restraint car seat until they reach the maximum height or weight allowed by the manufacturer.
  • Please review our guide on water safety for young children. Here is some information on safety tips for kids learning how to swim.
  • Your child should wear a helmet when riding a bike or scooter (this also includes riding in bike trailers)
  • As children become more independent, it is important to teach them to be safe in public places. Age 3 is a great time to start teaching them their whole names and caregivers real names. For more tips, check out this article.

Screen time

  • Limit screen time to 1 hour per day of quality screen time.

Potty Training

  • Now may be the right time to potty train if you haven't already done so.
  • When To Potty Train?
    • There is no exact age that is best for potty training.
    • Potty training readiness varies greatly amongst children.
    • Some children start showing signs of being ready between 18 and 24 months whereas others show signs closer to 36 months of age.
  • Is your child ready?
    • Here are signs that your child may be ready.
      • Your child is dry for at least 2 hours during the day.
      • You can tell when your child is about to urinate or have a bowel movement.
      • Your child can follow simple directions.
      • Your child can pull clothes down and up.
      • Your child does not like wet diapers and wants to be changed.
      • Your child asks to use the potty.
  • Waiting until your child is truly ready will make the experience much faster and more pleasant for everyone involved!
  • If you think your child may be ready to potty-train, check out these helpful resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics