Maternal and child health - visit 9 - two year visit

Around the age of two, many children have a routine health and development check with a child health nurse. Child health nurses work in partnership with families to care for babies and young children through the early years.

What happens at the two year visit#

At this visit, your toddler’s growth, health and development are reviewed, and starting kindergarten or preschool may be discussed.

You will usually be asked some questions about your child’s development. One commonly used tool is the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), which captures any concerns you have. If you are given these questions in advance, try to complete them before your visit.

The visit often focuses on:

• your child’s development and any concerns you have
• healthy eating
• caring for your child’s teeth
• sun protection
• how play helps learning and development
• immunisations
• preventing injuries
• starting kindergarten or preschool
• family relationships and wellbeing
• social communication

You and your nurse can also talk about any other issues or concerns that come up.

What your toddler may be doing at this age#

At this stage, your child is learning to become more independent. They love to share their interests and enjoyment with family, friends and people in the community.

Around two years, your toddler might be:

• running
• copying you, such as sweeping the floor
• dressing up or pretending
• beginning to use two- to three-word sentences
• having tantrums to express frustration or strong emotions

What to tell your nurse#

Let the nurse know if your toddler is:

• not running
• not coming to you for affection or comfort
• not understanding what you say
• not putting any words together
• not enjoying pretend play

Activity ideas for this age#

Simple, everyday play helps your toddler learn and develop. You could:

• encourage them to turn the pages of books and talk about what they see
• talk about everyday things as you do them together
• play outside and talk about what they are doing
• take them to a local park, library or playgroup
• sing and dance with them

How often should I visit?#

Child health services usually offer a series of scheduled visits across the early years, from the newborn period through to the time a child starts school, with a check at around two years being one of them. Families can also contact the service at other times by phone or by visiting a centre. Many centres offer a mix of booked appointments, drop-in sessions and some after-hours times.

Where to get help#