Around month 31, children begin to use interjections and attention-grabbing words like “Hey!” when they want your attention, or “Yucky!” when they see a squashed bug on the sidewalk. They also start to understand how verbs and nouns come together, so these tiny talkers are getting closer to forming full sentences (“I eat big cookie.”). Improvements in language development tend to lead to more engagement (such as initiating conversation or asking others to play), especially with people they trust.

Listening skills and memory recall are also getting stronger. For instance, if children listen to a story about a big red fire truck at bedtime, they can talk about that fire truck the next morning. These memories can sink in and even influence behavior (pointing out a fire truck on the road).

Children can now maintain the appropriate posture to complete prolonged seated activities like solving puzzles, coloring, or building a structure with blocks.

Even though children are slowly gaining the ability to explore different perspectives, they’re still pretty egocentric! Their point of view will be the only point of view for a bit longer. But you will notice them stepping outside of themselves every so often. For example, they might realize that some family members live far away and they’ll ask when they can see them again.

Children are gaining a better grasp of emotions, and can identify and understand a wider range of them, such as fear of getting their hair wet in the tub or anticipation of a cousin’s visit. But remember, the roller coaster is still going strong. You haven’t escaped outbursts or tantrums just yet! However, you can look forward to your child being more affectionate and expressive with those they love. Be prepared for longer hugs, bigger smiles, and more drawings on the fridge!

Remember that children are delightfully unique and some of these milestones will happen before or after this month.