Three-year-olds: Stages in Growing Up (12 Tips)

  1.   Three-year-olds begin to show both mental and physical independence.  They are proud of their accomplishments and delight in demonstrating them.  These stages in growing up will help develop their coordination for them to be able to ride on toy cars.  

  2.   They can entertain themselves by making simple  drawings or playing with blocks.  Their communication skills are developed enough for them to tell simple stories or repeat nursery rhymes.  Stages in growing up help the three-year-olds to be independent enough to do many care-taking activities, such as using the bathroom.  

3.   With a little assistance, three-year-olds can dress themselves (although they may have problems with buttons) and they have an easy time getting undressed on their own.

4.   At about three and a half, children may become awkward and, on occasion, stumble and fall.  They might develop stuttering or nervous habits, which could be caused by stress or insecurity.  Parents should not panic, but try to find the cause of the stress and eliminate it if possible.

5.   Children of these stages in growing up have fewer temper tantrums because they can do so many things for themselves.  Unlike younger children, who use “no” with great frequency, three-year-olds use “yes.” They have more patience about having to “wait a few minutes.” 

6.   While toddlers have troubles adapting to sudden changes in plans, three-year-olds like new experiences and are usually willing to try most of the things parents suggest.  They are increasingly more social with adults, they learn to share, and they begin to show real, and they love participating in long sessions of acted-out make-believe.

7.   These stages in growing up help kids express emotional insecurity by crying and whining, and frequently they want parents to reassure them of their love.  Three-year-olds seek this assurance through a paradoxical approach, vehemently saying, “You don’t love me.”  

8.   By three and a half, many children are jealous of anyone or anything that takes away the attention of their parents or friends.  Three-years-olds often say they want to be just like their parents.  They express love through their words and their actions. 

9.   At these stages in growing up, children might inform everyone that they are going to grow up and marry their parent of the opposite sex.  They need to be told that their plan is impossible, but reassure them that they will have their own especial person when they grow up.

10.   Parents can expect their children to inundate them with questions during this period.  Children like to give their own answers and then hear what the adult has to say.

11.   A movie, a television show, or something the child hears might cause fears that become greatly inflated at bedtime; the three-year-olds literally believe that the monsters are out to get him or her, and demand help.  When this occurs, it is imperative that the parents become understanding and comforting to the child.

12.   It is important that a child of this age learn self-control, how to behave in the company of others, and how to communicate frustrations through words instead of tears and tantrums.  Parents need to be patient and set limits.  The stages in growing up of three-year-olds need to know that their parents have confidence in them, as well as love them.

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