Are these things normal for a two year old?

amother

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:09 pm

Just turned two. Won’t play with toys, pretty much jumps from one thing to the next. Will still occasionally put things like sand in his mouth. Can’t stand when his hands get dirty.

I imagine there’s something sensory at play. But what and how can I help him? Or he’s still a baby and will grow out of it?

amother

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:39 pm

amother [ Amethyst ] wrote:

Maybe get him evaluated by early intervention... can't hurt.

I did, a few months ago. Nothing bothered them really but as he’s getting older I just wonder if it’s normal that he won’t play with one thing for more than a minute usually.

amother

Taupe

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:44 pm

I would say it's normal but can't hurt to get it checked out.
do you try playing with him? sitting and showing how to interact with little toys such as cars, animals, toy people, etc.?
does he see other children playing?

amother

Forestgreen

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:44 pm

Still very normal he’s 2. Probably not getting as much activity as he should because of carona (totally not your fault). Also don’t compare to other children because children develop at different paces..

Stars

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:45 pm

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

Don't get your 2 year old evaluated!! Your a great Mom for caring.

Uh, whyever not???

Op my child was like this at age 2. We had him evaluated at 18 months old but he didn't get approved for any services, because he was borderline in every area. The gap grew as he got older so we redid the evaluation and he got OT and PT. it's a few years now and I have to say, depending on the provider he's made a lot of progress (huge setback now with Corona) but he's still very behind and the gap keeps growing.

Do whatever you can to help your child and then some. The things you listed are definitely not appropriate for a 2 year old.

Kiwi13

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:46 pm

Sounds pretty normal to me based on your description, unless there are other concerns. Most toddlers have sensory stuff. That's why EI doesn't qualify based on sensory alone for the 0-3 kids.

I have two 2-year olds (closer to 3 at this point! Time flies!). One has special needs, the other is typically developing. They both do some of this from time to time (my typically developing child actually sticks more things in her mouth!). I'm a big fan of EI and a huge believer in maternal instinct. If you're concerned, it doesn't hurt to get him evaluated.

ETA: What do you mean that he won't play with toys? That might be a red flag, but not necessarily - depends on what that means.

Last edited by Kiwi13 on Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Taupe

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:47 pm

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

Don't get your 2 year old evaluated!! Your a great Mom for caring.

Why not? Maybe she can get some help for her child! OT can def help with sensory issues....!

amother

Salmon

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 9:05 pm

I’ll chime in with all the others to say these behaviors could be totally normal, but also could possibly be signs of an issue. Couldn’t hurt to get him evaluated if you’re worried.

amother

Amber

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 10:11 pm

Kiwi13 wrote:

ETA: What do you mean that he won't play with toys? That might be a red flag, but not necessarily - depends on what that means.

I am also curious what this means. My son is not quite two, and he definitely plays with toys. He loves to drive cars, throw balls, and even “feeds” a baby doll. He has a pretty short attention span, though, and he’ll jump from toy to toy. That’s very age appropriate, but a two year old should understand basic functions of objects and try to use them. Does he put a spoon in his mouth? Brush his hair with a brush? Pretend to speak on a toy phone?

Kiwi13

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 10:34 pm

One of the first red flags with my SN child was abnormal play. Instead of playing with toys he lined them up, for example. Zero understanding of imaginative play. No shared attention. No imitation. No concept of the difference between a doll and a truck (didn't treat them any different). That kind of thing. Those are red flags.

amother

Scarlet

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 10:38 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Personally I think it's pretty much childish. If I won't sit down with by toddler he usually won't sit down to a 'bucket' of toys himself. 2 of my kids would just turn over the container, spilling all toys, and run off. Or stay, getting up and down from container. Not every child is playful.
Dirty hands might be your toddler is very clean. My oldest child, while eating anything, she'd wipe her hands every time they got dirty.
Tho if you're really concerned, like none of your other kids (if you have more) were like that, maybe get him evaluated.

Good luck

amother

Denim

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 10:53 pm

My two year old started sticking all kinds of things in his mouth soon after I had a baby. I think it was as a soothing or comfort mechanism. It died down eventually and the doctor said it can sometimes be them showing stress so if your life changed a lot these last weeks, he might be reflecting that.
Dirty hands are sensory, my kids also go nuts when they have dirty hands, thank Gd for wipes.
The only thing concerning is never playing with toys, does he play when you sit with him? If so then he's probably just bored and not focused. I notice with my kids that when a toddler is out of sorts, they don't sit and play, they tend to do everything and nothing and just jump around.

amother

Slateblue

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 10:57 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I read something interesting this week.

Quote:

A normal attention span is 3 to 5 minutes per year of a child's age. Therefore, a 2-year-old should be able to concentrate on a particular task for at least 6 minutes,

I think, at least until now, I was expecting my child to be occupied for longer.

Now I have to start building small activities for him.
I think if I start slowly, and if I time it (not that I “feel” he keeps jumping from one things to next) I wonder what will happen and if I’ll look at it differently.

kenz

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 10:57 pm

amother [ Taupe ] wrote:

I agree - there are many kids who have very short attention spans, and don't really sit and play with one thing. Mine will play happily as long as I'm sitting with him - the second I get up, he's done. I wouldn't worry, but it certainly can't hurt to have him evaluated in case he needs a little extra help...

amother

Cyan

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 11:16 pm

I actually got my son evaluated when she was 18 months for something else and one of the main things the therapist had a problem was was that he was running from one toy to the next very quickly. It’s not something I even thought of. So yes, it obviously does matter. Was he doing that during the evaluation? If yes, What did they say when you pointed it out?

amother

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 11:25 pm

I already had him evaluated and they said he’s totally on the ball and followed their directions beautifully. He loves playing with cars and trucks but jumps around even as he does that.

He has no interest in magnatiles, legos etc. he just likes throwing and knocking it over and I wonder if it’s still age appropriate at 24 months as it was when he was evaluated at 20 months.