--- title: "24 Month Well Visit: Information for Parents & Caregivers" slug: "24-month-well-visit-information-for-parents-caregivers-1" updated: 2025-11-26T16:11:21Z published: 2025-11-26T16:11:21Z canonical: "healthhub.cpcmg.net/24-month-well-visit-information-for-parents-caregivers-1" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://healthhub.cpcmg.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # 24 Month Well Visit: Information for Parents & Caregivers ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/a196e2c1-0707-4b9f-8164-e8201c779cd7/Images/Documentation/image-645FZPM7.png) [![Appointment Info](https://cdn.us.document360.io/a196e2c1-0707-4b9f-8164-e8201c779cd7/Images/Documentation/1650055438388-1650055438388.png)](/v1/docs/appointments-and-contact-information) [![Care Decision Info](https://cdn.us.document360.io/a196e2c1-0707-4b9f-8164-e8201c779cd7/Images/Documentation/1654467115781-1654467115781.png)](https://www.rchsd.org/wait-times/what-type-of-care-does-my-child-need/)

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 **Visit our Health Hub at** [**https://healthhub.cpcmg.net**](https://healthhub.cpcmg.net) **to learn more about your child’s health, wellness, and development. Available 24/7!** #### How Your Family is Doing - Keep **family** time a **priority**. - Make sure to **take time** for yourself and your partner. - Allow trusted friends and family to help out. - Parents need breaks and time for fun with friends and family as well. - If you have **more than one child**, try to **spend some one on one time** with each. - **Teach** your child not to hit, bite, or hurt others. - As your child’s most important role model, you want to avoid doing these things too. - If you feel **unsafe** in your home, or **someone has hurt you**, please let us know. - Hotlines and community resources are also there to get you help and keep you safe. - **Avoid** using drugs, alcohol, e-cigarettes, and nicotine products. - Keep your house and car a smoke free zone to keep your kids healthy. - If you **need help** with food or housing, we can help. - Community resources like SNAP and WIC offer assistance and information too. - [Click here for more information on nutrition resources.](/v1/docs/nutrition-resources-for-families) #### Your Child’s Behavior - **Give** your child **praise** for **good behavior.** - **Give** your child the **respect** you give to others. - Surround your child with friends and family that respect your child as well. - **Talk to your child often** and help them with words to describe their feelings. - Watch them when they are around new people or in new situations. - Allow them to explore, but comfort and support if needed. - **Read, talk, sing,** and do daily activities with your child. - This helps them learn. - It also shows them that you are supporting them. - It is best to **avoid screen** time. - If your child has screen time, keep it to no more than 1 hour a day for learning. - Keep meals screen time free and encourage talking. - Keep your **child active** for an **hour or more** per day. - Activity and movement are healthy for their brain and body. - **FREE behavioral and developmental assessments** are available. - San Diego County residents through the First 5 Programs (888) 534-7785 or [First5sandiego.org](http://First5sandiego.org). - Southern Riverside residents through the Healthy Steps Programs (858) 966-8300 or [Healthysteps.org](http://Healthysteps.org). - Riverside and San Bernardino Counties are also served by Inland Regional Center (909) 890-4763. #### Talking and Your Child - **Talk to your child** often and slowly, **using simple** words and sentences - Avoid baby talk so your child hears the words well. - A goal for this age is that your child can follow simple commands. - **Ask** your child **lots of questions** to help them learn. - Be patient as it may take your child time to think about how to say words. - **Read lots** and make it fun with books and street signs. - Children enjoy reading the same book over and over and that is okay and normal. - Ask your child to point to words or pictures in the books. - Ask them about noises pictures or animals in the books may make. - Ask them what they think will happen as you read along. - The more **language they hear,** the better off your child will be. - If you know different languages, talk to your using the different languages. - When spending time with your child point to things, encourage them to use words to describe what you see. #### Potty Training - This is a **good age to start toilet training** if your child is ready. - **Signs** to tell they are **ready:** - They can stay dry for 2 hours. - They can tell you if they are wet or dry. - Your child can pull their pants up and down. - They seem interested and want to learn. - They can tell you that they need to have a bowel movement (poop). - Plan for **potty breaks** and check with your child about needing to go. - It is normal for kids to use the restroom up to 10 times a day. - You can **celebrate the excitement** around potty training by taking your child to pick out underwear. - **Avoid shaming** your child if they have an accident or just aren’t ready to be potty trained yet. - Be sure to teach good **hand washing after use of the potty.** - **Clean** the potty chair after every use. #### Healthy Teeth - Be sure to **brush** your child's teeth **twice a day.** - Use a rice grain amount of fluoride toothpaste, as this is safe for them to swallow. - Use a soft bristle toothbrush. - Some toddlers really enjoy this, and some don’t. - This is normal, so try to make it fun and sing songs about it. - The more you do it, the more it becomes a routine, and they will get used to it. - After brushing their teeth at night, avoid anything more than water. - **Offer lots of water and try to avoid juices and sweets.** - Once your child has teeth, they can get cavities. - If you have not taken them to the **dentist, now is a good time.** - To find **Medi-Cal dental** clinics near you: - Call: 1-800-322-6384 - Visit: [Denti-Cal Website here](https://dental.dhcs.ca.gov/). - **Fluoride varnish** can be applied by a dentist or at your child’s well visit to protect their teeth. - This can be applied every 3 to 6 months. - [Click here for more information.](/v1/docs/fluoride-varnish) - If your child seems **uncomfortable from teething**, giving acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or teething rings can be helpful. - If your child **uses a** **bottle**, you need to **work on** **weaning** now to reduce the risk of cavities. - Your child’s primary healthcare provider can help with tips for this. #### Healthy Eating - Encourage healthy eating with lots of **fruit, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and lean meats (like chicken, fish, beans)** for meals and snacks. - You can offer one big meal and then smaller meals or snacks throughout the day. - Include them in family meals. - Try to avoid processed, highly spiced, and sweetened foods. - To prevent choking, cut food into small pieces and avoid hot dogs, raw vegetables, chips, candy, pretzels, popcorn, and peanuts. - At this age, it is **not uncommon** for your **child to become a picky eater.** - Taste buds are still developing and changing at this age. - Encourage your child to continue to try new and old foods of all varieties. - Continue to offer healthy options. - For more information and helpful tips on picky eating, check out this [article](https://healthhub.cpcmg.net/docs/picky-eating). - **Never force your child to eat.** - Allow them to stop when they are done. - Allow them to feed themselves, although messy; this is good for independence and development. - Your child can try using soft plastic utensils like a fork and spoon. - Your child is **learning** **about eating habits now.** - The healthier you make it, the healthier they will be. - Avoid giving snacks for entertainment, boredom, or comfort when they are upset. - Offer them lots of different foods for them to continue to try. - **Water is needed; juice is not.** - If you choose to give juice, give no more than 4 ounces of 100% pure fruit juice daily. - Although you may have some spills, you can help them learn how to drink out of an open cup now. - If your child drinks **plant-based or cow’s milk,** give no more than 18 ounces per day. - Make sure to give unsweetened milk. 2% milk or lower is recommended at this age, unless your healthcare provided advises otherwise. - If your child’s appetite drops, decrease the amount of milk they drink. - If your child doesn’t drink milk or eat much dairy, a vitamin D supplement is recommended. - You can buy liquid vitamin D for your child’s age. - Follow packaging directions or ask your child’s primary healthcare provider for advice. **Food Assistance** - [**2-1-1**](https://211ca.org/) is an organization that helps families **connect** with food assistance programs such as CalFresh, local and regional food banks, emergency food services, Women Infant Children (WIC) program and more. Contact them at [211sandiego.org/resources/food-assistance/](http://211sandiego.org/resources/food-assistance/) OR dial 2-1-1 from any phone. - Some families may **qualify for assistance** in purchasing food for children up to age 5. For more information on the WIC program, please ask your doctor or contact WIC directly - **WIC San Diego** [http://sandiegowic.org/](http://sandiegowic.org/) 1-800-500-6411 - **WIC Riverside** [https://www.ruhealth.org/wic](https://www.ruhealth.org/wic) 1-800-472-2321 #### Safety - **Car** Safety: - Your child should remain in the carseat in the backseat. - The chest straps should be snug around your child’s chest. - Follow the carseat guidelines for maximum weight or height before turning them forward facing. - Be a good role model and make sure everyone in the vehicle has seatbelts on. - If your child is outside when you are leaving, make sure an adult is holding your child to keep them out of the path of your car. - Make sure your child is wearing a **helmet** when **riding a bicycle or a tricycle.** - Make sure your **home has working smoke** and **carbon monoxide detectors.** - Make sure that someone is **always watching** your child. - They are curious and can get into things fast. - Make sure you **have a gait for any stairs** and around any **pools**. - Make sure **all chemicals, medications, poisons and sharp objects** are **locked up** or **high enough** that your **child can’t reach** them. - If you think your child may have consumed anything dangerous **call poison control to help: 1-800-222-1222.** - **Keep** all **small objects, balloons, and plastic bags** away from your child, as these are **choking dangers.** - Do not let them play with magnets or any toys with button batteries. - Make sure **drawers, toilets, and windows** have **locks** on them. - Keep all the furniture away from the windows. - Keep all cords, including those for blinds out of reach. - Make sure everything like TVs and lamps are secured so they cannot fall over on your child. - **Empty** anything **with water** in it after you are done, like buckets, pools, and tubs. - Children can drown in small amounts of water. - When you are around any water, make sure your child is close enough for you to reach them with a hand. - When **cooking,** make sure you **know where your child** is at all times. - Keep anything sharp, hot, or dangerous out of your child’s reach. - Never open an oven with your child in the room. - Use back burners for any cooking so your child cannot grab pot or pan handles. - Keep your **child covered** while **in the sun** to **avoid any burns**. **Keeping guns** **out of the home is safest.** - Use sunscreens of 15 or higher SPF, apply every 2 hours while in the sun and one hour prior to swimming. - If swimming or boating have a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device for your child. - If you think your child has been burned, call your child’s primary healthcare provider. - If you have guns, keep the guns and ammunition locked separately. #### Immunizations - Your provider will **review your child’s immunization record**, and if there are **any routine vaccines that your child** has not yet received, we **will discuss** these with you. - **Flu Vaccine is recommended** during flu season, which is typically September-March/April. - It is safe to give the flu vaccine with other vaccines. - Vaccines are **safe and effective**, and proven to save lives. - **Learn** more about **recommended immunizations** from the [American Academy of Pediatrics](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Recommended-Immunization-Schedules.aspx). - To **learn** about **COVID vaccines,** please see the [recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/when-can-kids-get-the-COVID-vaccine-or-booster.aspx). - If you have concerns about vaccines, **please talk to your child’s primary healthcare provider for accurate information**. - Fever - can be treated with [acetaminophen](/v1/docs/acetaminophen-tylenol-dose-chart) or [ibuprofen](/v1/docs/ibuprofen-advil-motrin-dosage-table). - Soreness - can be treated with [ibuprofen](/v1/docs/ibuprofen-advil-motrin-dosage-table) or cool compress. - Swelling at injection site - can be treated with cool compress. - **For more details, visit the** [**immunizations**](https://healthhub.cpcmg.net/docs/cpcmg-vaccines) **section on our Health Hub.** #### What to Expect at Your Child’s 30 Month (2.5 year) Visit - **We will** talk about your child’s speech. - **We will** talk about preschool. - **We will** talk about family activities. - **We will** talk about safety. - **We will** talk about your child’s social skills. - **We will** continue to work together as a team. ## 📚 References This content was adapted from [https://www.aap.org/en/practice-management/bright-futures/bright-futures-family-centered-care/](https://www.aap.org/en/practice-management/bright-futures/bright-futures-family-centered-care/). Reviewed by (TT DO, JW MD), Patient Education Committee.