Milestones in a Toddler's Social Development
By Sam Cyrus

Toddler's social development is linked to the toddler’s emotional development. It plays a highly important role in every aspect of a child’s development. This is where he learns and recognizes some basic rules of social interaction, grows physically and mentally. The child recognizes that he is a separate being from his mother. He is learning the way the world around him works. He is also reaching for independence for the first time. Therefore, the environment and the conditions that surround the toddler will have a long-term effect even on the social interactions of adulthood.

The Toddler's Social Development – An Outline

The toddler's social development begins with exploring the world around them independently from the age of 12 months. They begin to realize that they are independent identities in a way from their caregivers, and though there is not a high degree of social interaction yet, exploration will start, away from the parents.

However, some kids will perhaps not start this independent exploration this early. Every parent should rest assured  that they will eventually do. There are also significant differences in the toddler's social development. The toddlers may also start addressing others with greetings.from 15-18 months. Between 18 and 24

months,  toddlers, when socially interacting with other, unfamiliar toddlers, may still show anxiety.

As the toddler's social development, the toddler will want to be independent more and more. Also he will mimic some social behavior like hugging teddy bears. He will display social attachment to some people. Toddlers will engage more and more in plays from the age of two. Besides, he begins imitating the social skills they have seen. And with the help of these games of pretend, children try to sort out their way in the world and their social relation to others.

Parallel play is also characteristic of the two-year old toddler's social development. Toddlers will be playing sitting next to each other, though they may not yet interact with each other in the games they are playing. Even if they do not seem to involve much social interaction, these parallel plays are the basis for cooperative play in the future.

In this period, toddlers will be generally able to know the difference between boys and girls. Toddlers may push and shove in the course of these plays which are usually not hostile as they still have a limited social behavior. However, these milestones consists of exploring the self and recognizing others to an extent are all important ones in the toddler's social development.