Three year olds are fun, full of energy, and growing physically, emotionally, and socially, at a frantic rate. The skills and milestones listed below are normal for most three year olds.
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Physically your three year old will possess the following motor skills, needs, and the ability for specific actions.
- Likes active large muscle play
- Bowel and bladder control is established
- Feeds herself with a spoon and small fork, can open doors, turn on faucets, helps to bathe herself, and can hop on one foot.
- Can run, dig, climb and jump
- Undresses herself and assists with her own dressing
- May be able to ride a bike
- Is interested in chores like setting the table
Emotionally, a three year old may display the following feelings of affection, anger, fear, jealousy, anxiety, and sympathy.
- Can be easily stirred
- Outbursts are brief but can feel prolonged anxiety
- Is capable of jealousy
- Is apt to be possessive
- Likes friendly verbal humor
- Can hold herself in anticipation
- Still self-centered but not extremely egocentric
- Conforms more readily
- Learning to be independent in socially acceptable ways
A three year old preschooler may show the following behaviors in relation to other children, adults, and group situations.
- Can do many things
- Desires to please
- Likes parallel types of play
- Resents being helped – wants to “do it myself”
- Cooperative play is sketchy
- Can be bargained with
- Interest in persons
- Girls are a little faster in developing than boys
- Dramatizes everyday situations
- Likes to help with adult work
Three year olds begin a transitional stage in mental development from a “thinking animal” at two years to a “sophisticated thinker” at four years old. Your three year olds language, curiosity, investigation, and exploration may lead to the following actions.
- Materialistic
- uses words as media of exchange
- Interested in color, texture, music and rhythms
- Enjoys simple stories retold frequently
- Starts asking “Why?”
- Asks questions about death, sex, God, etc.
- Counts two objects
- Repeats short sentences
- Tells simple stories of daily happenings
- Knows name and address
- Growing conversational skills