Toddler-hood is an important phase in the development of your baby. It is at this time that most children will perfect their walking and start speaking and responding in an interactive manner. It is also a time when the rapid rate of growth they have been experiencing so far will gradually decrease.
Your toddler’s growth has two aspects to it—physical and mental. Physical growth refers to the increase in height and weight and other physical attributes of your toddler. Mental growth refers to the increase in your toddler’s mental development including the capacity to think, imagine, analyze, judge wrong and right etc.
You can understand your toddler’s growth with the help of ‘growth charts.’ Pediatricians often use growth charts to monitor your toddlers’ growth. The growth chart represents a plotting of your toddler’s height and weight against the age to form a growth curve. Your pediatrician would be able to give you proper instructions on how to plot and read your toddler’s growth chart to find out if your child is growing normally or not. Depending on how much data you like to record, and some dads love to record it all, you can download charts from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/growthcharts/charts.htm.
However, most parents can just ask to see the growth chart at your regular appointments with your pediatrician. Make sure to ask where your baby is versus other babies on three key statistics: weight, height, and head size. Ask your doctor if any of these numbers appear low for the baby’s age.
It is important to note that toddlers aged between six and eighteen months can have widely fluctuating growth curves because the rate of growth is higher in this period. So the doctor will especially be looking for changes in the percentile ratings to see if the relative size of your baby is stable. Note that later, growth curves for older toddlers are normally more stable because they tend to grow more slowly.
Understand your Child’s Growth
Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews
In this episode, Sean Dawson of Raising Men shares what he’s learned from interviewing many guests about masculinity, transmitting values, and raising kids with intention—especially with a son who has big energy in a culture that often tries to suppress boyhood. We explore the current “crisis of masculinity,” why it’s not a zero-sum game for boys and girls, and Sean’s framework of courage, character, and purpose. Sean reframes modern protection as creating emotional safety, compares performative strength to real strength, and explains how planning matters while staying flexible. He also shares how a friend’s tragic loss made him more intentional with his own son, and offers two core takeaways: give yourself grace and lead by modeling the man you want your kids to become.
Whether you’re a new dad or a seasoned father, you’ll find relatable stories, actionable tips, and plenty of wisdom in this conversation.
Check out Shaun’s website at raising.men
Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:
– GreatDad.com/coaching
– GreatDad.com/pq
– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC
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