Motor Development Milestones

• By 12 to 24 months, your toddler should be able to climb stairs using the railing or the wall for support, walk independently, pick up toys from the floor without stumbling or falling down, make some movement to music without losing his balance, use kid-friendly eating utensils, turn a door knob without assistance and scribble on paper. If your child struggles with any of these milestones, requires assistance eating food or experiences difficulty moving around independently, speak with your pediatrician.
  
  

Language Development Milestones

• By 18 months, your toddler should have a small vocabulary made up of common nouns like "mom," "dad," "toy," and other words. She should also be able to follow simple instruction and offer one- or two-word requests like "more, please" or "no." At this stage, your toddler should also be able to identify mom, dad and other siblings in photographs.
  By 24 months, your toddler should have a big enough vocabulary that she can put together short sentences. Her communication should, for the most part, be intelligible and she should have a strong grasp of pronouns such as "you," "he," and "me." If your toddler demonstrates a limited vocabulary, experiences discomfort with sound or does not follow simple one-word commands, talk to your pediatrician.
  
  

Social Development

• At 12 to 18 months, your toddler is learning the ins and outs of social development and interaction. Key milestones include face and name recognition, object recognition and increased desire for independence. Expect your child to identify his image in a mirror and say his name. At this stage, he should also be able to recognize photographs of mom, dad and other siblings.
  This stage of development has a lot to do with imitation and role play, so expect your child to copy adult behavior, want to play alone and help mom and dad put objects in their correct locations. Developmentally, your child should demonstrate empathy in everyday activity. If he does not show concern for others or react to the presence of others in the room, consult your pediatrician.
  
  

Social Anxiety

• One of the biggest milestones to look for with your toddler is an increased desire for independence. If your toddler does not mimic adult behavior and show some frustration moving between dependence and independence, consult your pediatrician. These frustrations are normal and should be visible around 12 to 18 months. If your toddler does not demonstrate any ambivalence about becoming more independent, you may want to speak with your pediatrician to find out why. Be sure to tell your pediatrician if your toddler demonstrates social anxiety or tantrums when left alone for even a brief period of time.
  
  

Warning

• Always monitor your toddler to be sure she is developing at an appropriate pace. The key areas to look for include motor development, language development and social development. Consult with your pediatrician to determine what your toddler's skill level is and decide what changes or efforts can be made to improve areas where she is not developing properly. Ask your pediatrician about role play activities, vocabulary building exercises and other cognitive games that can be used to aid your toddler's growth.