Growing together: Language and connection at 24 months

For you

• 💛If you need a break away from your child, ask another trusted adult to take over supervision first. If no one can take over, stay nearby and keep watching your child while you pause and breathe.
• 📖When reading together, try to pause and point to images, asking simple open-ended questions like 'What do you see?' to encourage interaction. This shared quiet time is a beautiful way to bond while building early literacy foundations.
• 🧘You do not need to turn every conversation into a lesson. Respond to your child’s gestures or words, then give them time to reply.
• 🌱If you ever feel concerned about your toddler’s progress or if they seem to lose a skill they previously had, please reach out to your health visitor or doctor promptly for guidance and support.

For your baby

• 🗣️At 24 months, your toddler may be beginning to link two words together to form short phrases to express their needs or observations. You can support this growth by narrating your day, adding a small detail to what they say, such as saying 'Yes, a big red ball' when they point and say 'Big ball'.
• 🧸For a practical play idea this month, try a 'book scavenger hunt' where you place three large board books around a safe room and invite your toddler to find them and bring them to a designated 'reading nook' for a story. This encourages movement and builds excitement around books without the need for small, loose items.
• ✨Language develops at different rates. Enjoy gestures, sounds and shared books, but if your child uses few words, you have concerns or they lose a skill, contact your health visitor or doctor promptly.
• 📖Building a routine around reading, such as looking at a book before nap time or bedtime, helps your toddler associate language with comfort and consistency. Use this time to label objects you see on the pages to help expand their understanding of the world around them.

🏆 Milestones

At 24 months, children may start moving from two-word phrases toward building short, simple sentences. They often show increased engagement with books, interest in shared activities, and a blossoming interest in participating in daily routines.