I was just discussing the concept of “toddler” with my boys yesterday. It was a fine exercise in category development.
“Kathleen is a toddler.”
“No, she isn’t. She’s 3! That means she’s a preschooler.”
“But we don’t go to school.”
*long pause*
“Well, she’s a 3-year-old. They’re not toddlers.”
Frank: “Eli’s brother is a toddler.”
Loud scoffing and derision. (Eli’s brother is 8 weeks old.)
Kathleen: “I’m not a baby. I’m a girl!”
All: “You’re a baby unless you use the toilet.”
Kathleen: “TOOOOOOOOOOM!”
Tom: “All of you KNOCK IT OFF!”
We agreed that a child is past “toddler” when he is 2, unless he’s physically impaired.
“... You’re a baby unless you use the toilet..”
Hysterical! We used that line as well. It worked about the same... :)
That’s a hilarious peek into the daily life of the Tax-chick household, lol.
Can’t believe Kathleen is three already. Wow. Sounds like she’s the life of the party! Poor Tom, hehe.
I consider a toddler as one who toddles.
You know, unsteady on their feet, unsure about their abilities.
My daughter is 3.5 and climbs, runs, hammers nails, uses a power screwdriver, etc., so I do not consider her to toddle any more, which is sad, because my baby is growing up.