Fillable General Pediatric Clinic / 24 Month Visit (Page 2 of 2) in pdf

GENERAL PEDIATRIC CLINIC / 24 MONTH VISIT

ANTICIPATORY GUIDANCE FOR 24 MONTH VISIT

F-01068I (01/11)

Page 2

Diet

Television

Snacks — appetites vary tremendously from child to child and

Luckily, the attention span of most toddlers is too short to sit

from day to day. If the snacks are kept in the "healthy food"

through a television show. Others will sit and not move and stop

category and the child sits to eat the few bites he or she takes

doing everything else. Special programs for preschoolers may still

at each meal, a pattern will be set up for healthy dietary habits

be too limited for the toddler.

later on. Food should not be used for rewards or punishment.

Dental Care

Milk intake should be limited to two cups or less.

Independence, limit setting, and temper tantrums are closely

In this stage of imitation, the toddler can have a toothbrush

related. As children strive for independence, they constantly test the

without toothpaste and be encouraged to brush once or twice daily.

limits of their activities. It is the parents' responsibility to set and

The parents should also do this for them regularly.

consistently enforce these limits. It is important to define these

Safety

limits clearly and to apply them sparingly, in most cases only to

actions that will endanger the child's health or life. The parents

Car seat — A toddler who has always been in a car seat in a

must ask, "Is it really important to stop this particular activity?" If the

moving vehicle will have little trouble staying in one.

answer is "yes," then the parent must follow through consistently. If

the answer is "no" then it is much better to say nothing and

Street-playing outside requires constant adult supervision unless

continue to observe the child, helping when needed.

there is a specifically fenced area with non-poisonous plants. A

discussion of PICA is pertinent since the child is still putting many

Temper tantrums are a developmental manifestation of the toddler's

objects in his or her mouth. It is important for the parent to teach

way of dealing with frustration when unable to perform desired

edibles versus non-edibles and to review lead exposure.

actions. A temper tantrum occurs when 1) the child's actions are

limited by the parents, or 2) the child is developmentally unable to

perform them. The parents' consistency will terminate the former,

and growth and development the latter.

Peer companionship, sharing, and taking turns should be

encouraged. If the child is one who resists new situations, the

process will take longer and require a lot of patience on the part of

the parents. Most children eventually adjust and will learn from this

process.

General Pediatric Clinic / 24 Month Visit Page 2

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