Toddler Milestones

Eating & Drinking

(drinking from a cup, chewing & swallowing, picky eating)

Below are some of the typical milestones to expect as your child grows, followed by some Red Flags that might indicate a problem.

Between 12-18 months, your child will:

Eat ground, mashed, or chopped table foods (including soft pieces of meat) by 15 months
Use their tongue well to move food from side to side in the mouth
Lose a bit of food or saliva out of the mouth while chewing
Bite foods well
Eat coarsely chopped table foods, including meats and raw vegetables by 18 months

Sometimes chew with lips closed
Drink from a cup well without losing liquid out of their mouth by 18 months
Feeds themselves using a spoon, dropping some food off the spoon
Start to refuse some foods

By 24 months (2 years), your child will:

Swallow well from a cup with good lip closure around cup and no loss of liquid
Swallow food well with good lip control and no loss of food
Chew with jaw movements that go round and round, as well as up/down and side to side

Know the difference between food and non-food items
Scoop foods with a spoon, with some spills
Start to stab food with a fork and get it to their mouth
Start to show clear likes and dislikes of some foods

Between the ages of 2 and 3 years of age, your child will:

Eat the same foods as the rest of the family
Feeds themselves well with a spoon and fork
Have definite food likes and dislikes
Refuse certain foods

Possibly start to become a “picky eater”
Wipe their own mouth and hands with a napkin or cloth
Start to serve themself at the table with some spills
Pour liquids into their cup from a small container

Red Flags for Eating and Drinking Problems

If your child is showing some of the following signs, it may be helpful to talk to your doctor or another health professional, such as a speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, dietician, or public health nurse.

Arching or stiffening of the body during feeding
Coughing or choking during feeding
Being very irritable/fussy during or after feeding
Taking a really long time to feed (more than 30-45 minutes)
Frequent spitting up
Getting sick often with pneumonia or chest infections
Gurgly, hoarse, or breathy voice
Less than normal weight gain or growth
Lots of leakage of food or liquid from the mouth
Coughing, gagging, or throwing up during or after meals
Stuffing mouth with food
Holding food inside pockets in mouth for long periods

Difficulty accepting new textures of food
Avoidance behaviours to specific foods and textures (gagging, vomiting, blocking the spoon with hands or closed lips, crying, pushing food away, etc)
Abnormal bowel movements that last longer than a few days (diarrhea, constipation, loose stool)
Skin reactions to foods (dry patches, hives, rashes) Note: If your child seems to be having a severe allergic reaction to a food (difficulty breathing, turning red, developing hives or rash on the face/chest), you should seek medical help immediately.

If you have concerns about your child at any age, please feel free to contact us to speak to a professional. You can also make a referral to our centre at anytime.

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Eating & Drinking

(drinking from a cup, chewing & swallowing, picky eating)

Between 12-18 months, your child will:

By 24 months (2 years), your child will:

Between the ages of 2 and 3 years of age, your child will:

Red Flags for Eating and Drinking Problems

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What people are saying about CTFRC

CTFRC Parent

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