Choosing between options at 2 yrs old

[starkadder]

LIttle question for you all - how many 2 yr olds out there are capable of choosing between 2 different options?

E.g. my DS, now 2, has started wanting to choose his own T shirt in the morning. I'll get one out of the drawer, he says immediately, "Want anuvver one!". I don't really mind what he wears, so I say, "go ahead and choose one" and he then ends up frozen with indecision in front of his drawer until I eventually get one out and pull it over his head.

Same with other things - ask him if he wants an apple or a banana and he's completely stymied, or just goes for the last one I said.

I think this is probably fairly typical for a 2 yr old but my DH thinks it is unique to our DS.

Also - DH points out that DS doesn't understand the concept of "favourite" (e.g. what's your favourite colour?". I think favourite is really pretty high level stuff so wouldn't expect a 2 yr old to get it but...Any comments??

u've just described my 2 year old!!!

My DS doesn't really get the concept of favourite - he does use the word, but it's just in relation to whatever he is interested in at that moment (millisecond) in time.

He is 25mo and is just starting to be able to make limited choices. Tonight I asked him if he wanted to have peas or cucumber of tea and he (eventually) chose peas, but it took quite a lot of persistence from me with eye contact at toddler height to get him to commit himself.

He is capable of deciding, entirely off his own bat, that he wants to wear (for example) his tractor T-shirt. He is also capable of tantruming when the tractor T-shirt cannot be found. But quite often he can't choose at all. I think the fact that his grasp of colours (or the words for colours) is a bit ropey makes it harder to communicate this sort of choice.

Oh, and the moment he gets the slightest bit tired/frustrated/hungry the ability to have any rational thought seems to disintergrate.

Your DS sounds very typical to me - isn't it part of the joy of having a toddler, that it's like communcating with a small alien?

Sounds like me - am v. indecisive . My small daughter 2.9 is very certain of her own mind!

Choosing between two options comes much earlier that choosing from a range. You can avert meltdowns by offering just two choices when they have grasped the concept of choosing.

You should still carry on offering her choices because this is how she learns about the concept.

I was advised by a speech and language therapist to ask the question very simply, count ten seconds and then, if the child has not replied, repeat the question using exactly the same words again. This is because if you ask the same question a different way or with more information they have to start processing the whole question again and will take even longer to choose.

Thanks everyone, and sorry for starting two threads with the same subject by mistake.

Al1son - that's really interesting. I find the countdown really works but I've just been counting down and then choosing for him - which he pretty much accepts.

He can choose between 2 things pretty easily if he doesn't like one (e.g. peas or ice lolly) or if he loves one of them with a passion (e.g. Thomas shirt or normal shirt) - I think it's when he has no strong feelings either way. Quite interesting really as probably a lot of the "choices" we make as adults aren't really because we have a strong preference either way.

Anyway. Thanks again everyone for the replies!