19 Months

How your toddler's growing
At around 19 months, your toddler begins to understand when things aren't right according to grown-up ideas. She'll laugh at something that's obviously wrong - like calling a giraffe a zebra or calling a brother a sister. She'll also notice when something isn't quite right, like an eye missing from her stuffed bear or a new stain on the carpet.

Although you probably still understand less than half of what your toddler says, she's beginning to recognise most of the words you use when you're with her. She's also having a vocabulary spurt and beginning to put together pairs of words, like "Me go" or "You put." Explaining what you're doing, even if you feel like you are repeating yourself as you go about your daily life, can help your toddler to learn to talk.

Your toddler will get all the stimulation she needs from unstructured play, so you don't need to take her to formal dance or music lessons yet. She may look forward to seeing other children but she's unlikely to play with them properly yet.

Your life: the negotiator
To reduce power struggles and frustration as your toddler strives for independence, make sure you treat her the way you'd like to be treated. Try compromise instead of commands. "You can't go outside right now," you might say, "but we can read a book and go out later." Instead of "You must pick up the bricks before dinner," make it "I'll pick up the puzzle pieces if you pick up the bricks."

Ideas to try
As your toddler becomes more proficient at feeding herself, she'll want to try more grown-up foods and utensils. Toddler-sized cutlery, plates and bowls can give mealtimes a boost and renew her interest. If she is growing out of her highchair why not try a booster seat instead. They are much more portable and usually have two height settings so that you can adapt it as your toddler grows.