Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    vikivoly Guest

    Default 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    What should my 26 month old be doing now? She was behind as an infant. She didn't crawl until she was 13 months and walked at 14 1/2 months. She didn't have anything physically wrong with her, she was just a very laid back baby and still is like that. I started her in a gymnastics program and there are only 2 other girls in her class (one is 2 1/2 and the other is almost 3). They are far more advanced than she is and I'm curious whether she is just behind because of her age or if she is behind for her age. One very obvious skill that she can not do is jumping or hopping. She tries and tries and she can't get off of the ground with two feet. She also can't jump from a high to low position. She can walk on the balance beam with assistance and sometimes is able to do a forward roll, but most often it ends up as a log roll. :) The other girls can walk sideways on the beam unassisted, swing from a parallel bar and climb along the top of the parallel bars.

    The only thing that *worries* me is her feet. She was seeing a physical therapist for her gross motor delays as an infant and the PT advised me to see a Pediatric Podiatrist because her feet are very flat and they roll inward. My Ped. is taking the wait and see approach. He said that they can't do anything until she is older - around age 5. I don't necessarily feel comfortable with that, however I told him she was no longer behind in her motor skills, so maybe he would think differently if she was delayed. Basically, I'm trying to figure out whether she is delayed or not.

  2. #2
    wendmatt is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    San Antonio TX
    Posts
    2,729

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    dd is almost the same age as your dd. She can jump and is now trying to hop, can't quite manage yet but is def trying. She doesn't seem to do things other children her age do though. SHe is less active and very shy and sometimes at playgroup, she'll walk into the outside play area and sit down on her own which really worries me that she is a loner. That's way off the point, sorry! Just wanted to let you know that they all develop at different levels in different areas. If you are concerned I would talk to the ped again. In our state early intervention is a free service that supplies PT, OT and speech therapy and you can self refer. Could you contact the PT you were seeing before and tell her your concerns, maybe she'd be more help than your ped.
    Not sure if that helped at all, sorry!
    ETA 12lbs, woo hoo!!

  3. #3
    wendmatt is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    San Antonio TX
    Posts
    2,729

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    HI again
    I just dug out the help sheet the speech therapist and OT gave me. It says the jumping skill begins at 22mth through 30mths, so anywhere in there is considered within the normal range.. Jump from bottom step starts at 24mth through 27mth.
    Em does most things she is supposed to but has low muscle tone (according to the OT) and so she was evaluated by the PT, who said she seemed fine to her. I still say call your PT just to chat, but sounds like your dd is doing OK, especially if she was late with some other gross motor skills.
    HTH alittle

  4. #4
    Karenn is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    .
    Posts
    2,955

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    Most people tell me that my DS has strong gross motor skills. He's all over the playground jumping, climbing etc. But, for most of the summer, he could not jump. As he got towards 2 1/2 he got better at jumping. I would guess that jumping is a skill that usually comes a little later. I know for certain that there are many 4 & 5 year olds who are still working to master hopping on 1 foot.

    HTH,


  5. #5
    Kimberly H Guest

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    Mia is 26 months old too and she's been jumping since she turned 2, however she can't walk along a balance beam, even with help. She can forward roll by herself, but once she does that twisty, sideways roll, she can't seem to remember how to go straight over again unless someone helps her once. There is no way in heck she could swing from a parallel bar and she's got great upper body strength!

    Oh, and her idea of hopping on one foot is to lean against something and either hold her own foot up or have you hold it, then hop the *slightest* bit off the ground or even just bend the leg touching the floor and yell "Hop, hop, hop!" And then you have to clap and cheer. ;)

    Your daughter sounds perfectly normal to me but I'd call the PT and/or Early Intervention just to be sure. It couldn't hurt.

  6. #6
    egoldber's Avatar
    egoldber is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Northern VA, USA.
    Posts
    31,123

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    I don't think a child is considered behind with jumping until they are over 3. We took a class last year when DD was 2 called "Wiggles and Giggles" which involved a lot of gross motor play activities. Jumping was one of the things they practiced. Some 2 year olds were very skilled jumpers and some could not get off the ground yet. I think this is just a skill that develops over a wide age range.

    My DD did not walk until she was 19 months, so I know what it is like to worry about a child who is behind their peers. But you would never know that DD was behind now. I think she is still not as graceful as some of her peers at some things, but she is certainly no longer behind.

    HTH,
    Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Ohio, United States.
    Posts
    4,337

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    DS could jump before he was 2. I never really thought about it until we were at our playgroup birthday party and he was jumping while holding my hands. Another little girl in playgroup (who has no delays) wanted to jump just like DS. I took her hands and she just could not get off the ground at all. However, within about 3 months of turning 2, she could jump too.

    So, I don't think it's unusual not to be able to jump at 2.
    Mommy to Justin (13 years) & Ashlyn (8 years)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    .
    Posts
    4,614

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping

    Another Nov.'02 DD here who started jumping after she turned two. It was actually about a month ago she started jumping where her feet actually got off the ground. Before that she'd do this funny skip trying to get off the ground. She can walk on a balance beam holding my hand and does not forward roll yet, she always ends up falling to the side.

    It sounds like she's right on track to me!!

    Lisa

  9. #9
    vikivoly Guest

    Default RE: 2 year old Physical Development - jumping -UPDATE

    Thanks for all of the responses. It sounds like jumping is a milestone that has a wide age range. She still isn't jumping, but has shown some improvement in her gymnastics class. She can walk on a very low beam unassisted and can bear her own weight on the parallel bars. She is even taking some steps across the top of the parallel bars.

    Thanks again for the reassurance!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •