Children's Age-by-Age Guide: 3 Years Old

Emotional Milestones

Your preschooler is becoming an increasingly social being and you'll see that he is less selfish and more caring and sensitive to others' feelings (For example, he may comfort you when you're sad.) An imaginary friend may show up at your house this year; he will help comfort your child, play with him, and take the blame if your child does something wrong.

Smart Strategy:

Pretend play starts to emerge so give your child ample opportunity to let his imagination run wild. Don't worry if he has an imaginary friend; he can help your child deal with reality. Now that your child is starting to realize that his actions can affect others, he may need extra comfort when he does something wrong.

Your child is becoming very aware of similarity and difference. You'll see this in play as she sorts toys by size and color. She'll talk in five-word sentences now and constantly ask questions that begin with "why." She can describe actions and events, and loves to tell stories. Remembering nursery rhymes and playing pretend games are some of her favorite activities.

Smart Strategy:

More often than not, when your child plies you with questions she wants your attention, not so much specific answers to her queries so keep your replies simple. Whether you are out and about or at home, have conversations with your child about what you're doing or where you're going (Talk about making dinner, driving in traffic, the seasons, etc.) so that she learns about the world we live in.

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