It may seem like it happened overnight… your tiny baby so dependent on you has suddenly become this rambunctious, energetic, bounce-off-the-walls, always-on-the-go, never-stop-talking, exploring toddler, a walking, talking, energy machine. It is a fun age, but also a tiring one for parents. It is also full of new challenges: potty training, changing eating patterns and nutritional needs, safety issues, language development. Toddlers also start to express their desire to control their own lives and always have their own way, presenting what is often the first parenting challenge for parents, one that often comes as a surprise. Then suddenly, you are starting to get them ready to start school in a year or two. Though physical growth slows down during the toddler years, it is a period of tremendous mental, emotional, and social growth as the brain grows and matures at a phenomenal rate. We love caring for children this age, seeing their personalities come to life, marveling at their energy level, and helping parents not only deal with the challenges but also help their young child develop to his or her fullest potential.

Toddler Development

While the first year of life has tremendous growth and development, the toddler years seem to even increase the rate of mental and physical development. It is a period of tremendous brain and nervous system growth, with constant new skills and abilities, and it is critical that toddlers have the best nutrition health, and developmental stimulation so that they can grow and develop properly. To that end, we have developed several special programs to ensure optimal health and development for our toddler patients.

  • ToddlerStrong Feeding and Nutrition Program: continuing the transition to a normal diet, with all the latest nutrition research and guidelines, as well as dealing with toddler behavior issues and food. This is a crucial time in the development of a healthy attitude towards food and healthy eating habits, and preventing obesity.
  • ToddlerSmart: a program for optimal developmental stimulation for your toddler, helping your toddler develop the best language, social, and physical skills and milestones.

Toddler Challenges

Toddlers also present a challenge to most parents because certain basic facts of human nature start to become apparent during this time. There is a natural questioning of authority, testing of limits, and a desire to make every effort to get one’s own way and have the world cater to his every demand. This is ingrained in human nature; no toddler has ever had to be taught to say, “Mine!” or say no to his parents, or not to share things with someone else.  All toddlers are quite rebellious, though some are quieter about it than others. This presents a real frustration for many parents. The parenting goal for toddlers is to learn to obey without complaining and to respect authority. Toddlers who fail to learn these lessons often go on to have problems in school and at home during the preschool and school-age years. Moral and behavioral training are a key component of toddler and preschool parenting.

We have a program called Terrific Toddlers, which is our toddler behavior and parenting program. Understanding your toddler’s personality, and successfully managing the challenges of parenting toddlers. Helping your toddler develop into a well-behaved child without anger, yelling, counting, or frustration. You will be the envy of many parents. The program deals with obedience, discipline, sleep, feeding behaviors, and overall behavior.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers continue along the same developmental lines as toddlers. They continue to learn respect for authority, explore their world, develop language, physical, and social skills, as well as the skills necessary for learning in school. We continue to help parents with behavior, sleep, and nutrition, as well as preparation for school.

Services for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Our services for toddlers and preschoolers include:

  • Detailed well visits looking at growth and mental and physical development. Many problems first present themselves during this time, and early detection and treatment can make a tremendous difference in a child’s future
  • Developmental screenings. We use validated developmental tests to evaluate your child for any early developmental problems, looking at both physical and mental development.
  • Hearing and vision. We start testing for hearing and vision problems during this time period. Both are necessary for proper development as well as learning in school. Detecting problems early is especially important because of language development and because the vision center in the brain is still developing until age 8-10 years old, and an untreated eye problem can lead to the brain not developing properly, which will cause vision problems lasting the rest of the child’s life.
  • Vaccines continue into the toddler years to protect from deadly diseases.
  • Continued education on common parenting issues, such as sleeping, potty training, behavior, and the use of media such as television, computers, and handheld devices.
  • Healthy Smiles for Life program continues.
  • Preschool Nutrition: Research shows that obesity and weight problems usually start at this age, around 4-5 years old. We want to prevent this in every single one of our patients.

We help parents of toddlers and preschoolers with all of these issues, both optimizing health and nutrition, and effective parenting strategies that help young children learn independence and respect for authority at the same time.

Toddler & Preschool Well Child Visit Schedule

The 12 month visit is a busy one. In addition to an updated history and head-to-toe physical exam, there are many diet changes that need to be discussed at this visit. We provide parents a free copy of our toddler feeding guide, a complete resource on toddler feeding from 12 months to 4 years of age. Your baby’s development, especially physical skills and language, are also checked. Your child’s hemoglobin is checked at this time for iron deficiency, since adequate iron levels are needed for brain development during the second year. Lead levels are also checked for children at risk for lead poisoning, and fluoride is applied to the teeth of children who don’t have a dental home yet. The MMR, PCV, and hepatitis A vaccines are given, as well as the flu vaccine during flu season. As part of our oral health program, we usually apply fluoride to children’s teeth at this visit.

At this visit, we carefully evaluate your child’s growth and development and perform a head-to-toe physical exam, as we do at every well visit. We are especially concerned with development during the toddler years. The HIB and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines are given at this visit, along with the flu vaccine during flu season. Our oral health program and toddler feeding and nutrition program continue.

At the 18 month visit, we do a complete physical exam, checking every part of your child’s body, as well as check growth and development and risks for tuberculosis, lead poisoning, hearing and vision problems, and other risks to your child’s health. At this visit, we do a formal developmental assessment of all aspects of your child’s development, and a screening for autism. The DTaP and hepatitis A vaccines are usually given, along with the flu vaccine if needed during flu season. Fluoride is applied to those who need it as part of our Oral Health Program, and our toddler feeding and nutrition program continues.

At the two year visit, in addition to the usual complete physical exam and checking growth and development, we do another careful assessment of your child’s development. Most children at this age have completed the primary series of vaccines; any catch-up vaccines can be given, as well as the flu vaccine during flu season. Our oral health and toddler nutrition programs continue. Fluoride varnish is usually applied every 3-6 months.

As with every well visit, we update your child’s medical history and risk factors and do a complete physical exam. At this visit we do another screening evaluation for autism, as well as look carefully at your child’s overall development and growth. Our Oral Health and Toddler Feeding programs continue. We apply fluoride to children’s teeth who don’t yet have a dentist.

At the three year-old visit, we update your child’s medical history and risk factors for disease, and as always perform a complete physical exam. We also evaluate your child’s growth and development, which is especially important during the toddler years. This is the first time we check blood pressure in healthy children, and also the first vision screening. Flu shots are recommended each year during flu season. Our Toddler Feeding and Oral Health programs continue, and we apply fluoride to the teeth of children who don’t have a dental home yet.

At the four year-old visit, in addition to updating your child’s history and risk factors, performing a complete physical and checking growth and development, there are booster shots needed between 4-6 years old. Georgia requires them for school and daycare by age 5, so we usually give them all at this visit. They are all boosters of vaccines given before: DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella (chickenpox). Flu shots are recommended each year during flu season. We also check hearing and vision at this visit, and start preparing the paperwork your child will need to start school. We look carefully at this age for any signs of abnormal weight gain, since studies show that weight problems and obesity often start in the preschool years.

The last preschool visit is both sad and exciting, as children leave one phase of life and start another. We continue to monitor growth and development, also looking for early signs of weight gain or the development of obesity, which often starts at this age. Any remaining booster vaccines can be given, as well as the flu vaccine during flu season. We check hearing and vision at this age as well.

Next up: School age!

Learn more about well visits and our comprehensive preventive care wellness program.