86 Week Old Baby: Your Baby's Development and Your Recovery This Week

Tantrums are starting to show up more now, and it's not because your toddler is being difficult, it's because they have feelings they can't express yet.

Around 20 months, most toddlers are saying 20–50 words, starting to pair two words together ("more milk", "mama up"), running confidently, and figuring out door handles and cupboards, everything is a puzzle to be solved. Pretend play is kicking in too. That's cognitive gold.

• If your toddler can climb out of the crib now, it's time to lower the mattress to its lowest setting, or move to a toddler bed with a side rail. A toddler falling from a standing position in a crib is a hospital visit you don't want.

A safe sleep space is still the most important thing: firm mattress, no heavy pillows or thick quilts, bed rails on both sides if they climb, and a floor-level bed if you're worried about falls. If you move to a toddler bed, keep the room toddler-proofed, if they can get out of bed, they can wander, and a baby gate at the bedroom door keeps them safe while you sleep.

Meltdowns at this age are usually about being tired, hungry, or overstimulated, not manipulation. Try:

• Name the feeling: "You're upset because the cup is empty."
• Stay close, stay calm. Crouch down to their eye level.
• Don't try to reason in the moment.
• When the storm passes, hug it out and move on.

Meltdowns peak around 18–30 months and ease as language catches up.

A meltdown over an empty cup is really a heart too full for its few words. Strange as it sounds, even the stormy afternoons sit among genuine 20 month old baby milestones. Your calm presence in the middle of the storm teaches a lesson no book can: feelings pass, and love stays.

Around 20 months. Travel with a toddler, exhausting, but doable with planning.

Travelling with a toddler, Indian context

• Whether it's a weekend trip to grandparents, a holiday, or a wedding in another city, toddler travel needs prep:

Before travel

• Pack snacks (idli, paratha, crackers, banana, bottled water)
• Familiar comfort items (a soft toy, blanket, the sippy cup)
• Toddler-mild medication (Calpol, ORS, antiseptic, plasters)
• A printout of vaccination card and pediatrician contact
• Loose, comfortable clothes for everyone

During travel

• Frequent breaks for road trips
• Window seats for plane/train so toddler can watch
• Plenty of toys / books for distraction
• Don't expect them to sleep on schedule

At the destination

• Recreate sleep environment (familiar pillow, blanket, sleep cues)
• Maintain at least one routine, bedtime usually
• Don't pack the day with activities

For mum's own energy

• Travel is harder when you're carrying the toddler-mental-load too. Delegate what you can. Don't be the only person who knows what's in the bag.

Eating well at destination

• A few familiar Indian basics, atta, dal, ghee, packed in a small kitchen kit for places without good food options. Hotels often have basic kitchens or microwaves on request.

Worth flagging

• Severe vomiting, diarrhoea, fever spike, or breathing difficulty during travel, find the nearest doctor or emergency room. Don't wait to "see how it goes" if a toddler is unwell on the road.

An Indian-context travel kit reminder

• ORS sachets, an antiseptic, antihistamine cream, Calpol or paediatric paracetamol, a thermometer, a small first-aid kit, and your toddler's vaccination card photo. Pack this once and reuse for every trip.

A packed bag, a familiar blanket, a mother who thought of everything: that is how little ones learn the world is safe to explore. Travelling while parenting a toddler is not exactly a holiday, but it plants memories that outlast the tiredness. Go gently, and let some plans stay unplanned.