Working With 2-Year-Olds

This 60-minute course provides early years professionals with practical strategies for understanding and supporting two-year-olds.

Led by Norland College lecturer Tamsin Grimmer, it covers attachment theory, schematic play, positive behaviour support, and creating enabling environments through four focused modules.

Learn to interpret behaviours, support emotional development, and promote independence using evidence-based approaches that integrate seamlessly into your daily practice. Designed for both new and experienced practitioners, all strategies can be implemented immediately in your setting.
· December 10, 2024
Get the Working With 2-Year-Olds Masterclass for just £40 (approx $52 USD, $78 AUD)

Tired of the ‘Terrible Twos’ Label? Discover What Your Two-Year-Olds Are Really Trying to Tell You

Two-year-olds aren’t terrible—they’re fascinating, complex, and constantly communicating with us through their behaviour. Drawing on decades of early years expertise and current research, this course reveals the real meaning behind common two-year-old behaviours, offering practical solutions for nursery settings

Working with two-year-olds brings unique challenges that can test even the most experienced early years professionals. Despite our best efforts and training, many practitioners find themselves questioning their approach when faced with complex behaviours and emotional responses that seem difficult to interpret and manage. This vital stage of development requires specific understanding and strategies that many settings struggle to develop consistently.

Common challenges we face include:

  • Interpreting and responding to challenging behaviours effectively, particularly when children appear to be ‘attention seeking’ or display actions like biting, throwing, or having frequent emotional outbursts
  • Managing separation anxiety and supporting children through daily transitions whilst maintaining a calm, productive environment for all
  • Balancing the desire to promote independence with necessary boundaries and safety considerations
  • Understanding what’s developmentally appropriate versus what behaviours might need additional support or intervention
  • Supporting children who struggle with sharing and turn-taking while fostering positive social interactions
  • Maintaining consistency across staff teams when responding to challenging moments
  • Building strong partnerships with parents who might be struggling with similar behaviours at home
  • Creating an environment that supports emotional regulation while still offering appropriate challenge and stimulation

These challenges can lead to increased stress levels among staff, reduced confidence in managing difficult situations, and potential inconsistencies in approach across teams. More importantly, when we’re uncertain about how to respond effectively, children may miss vital opportunities for developing emotional regulation skills and secure attachments—key foundations for their future learning and development.

This is precisely why Tamsin has developed this focused course on Working with Two-Year-Olds. Through evidence-based strategies and practical approaches, we’ll explore how to interpret and respond to typical two-year-old behaviours effectively, creating environments where both children and practitioners can thrive. This isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about developing a deeper understanding of this crucial developmental stage and building a toolkit of proven strategies you can implement immediately in your setting.

Working with Two-Year-Olds offers a focused, practical approach to understanding and supporting children through this crucial developmental stage. Led by Tamsin Grimmer, lecturer at the prestigious Norland College and experienced early years consultant, this course provides clear, actionable strategies that you can implement immediately in your setting.

Through structured learning modules and practical examples, you’ll discover:

  • How to reframe common ‘challenging’ behaviours as valuable communication
    munication
  • Evidence-based approaches to promoting positive behaviour
  • Practical strategies for building secure attachments
  • Effective ways to support growing independence
  • Methods to create enabling environments that support emotional development

The course combines current research with real-world applications, offering a blend of theoretical understanding and practical implementation. You’ll explore key concepts such as attachment theory, schematic behaviour, and the importance of transitional objects, all presented through the lens of daily nursery life.

What makes this course different:

  1. Focuses specifically on two-year-olds, recognising their unique developmental needs
  2. Provides practical, implementable strategies rather than just theoretical knowledge
  3. Includes opportunities for reflection and application to your own setting
  4. Demonstrates how to turn challenging moments into valuable learning opportunities
  5. Offers a fresh perspective on the ‘terrible twos’, emphasising the positive aspects of this developmental stage

Complete the course in just 60 minutes, with the flexibility to pause, reflect, and apply learning to your specific context. Each section includes practical activities and reflection points, ensuring you can immediately put your learning into practice.

Whether you’re new to working with two-year-olds or an experienced practitioner seeking fresh insights, this course provides the understanding and tools needed to create more positive, responsive relationships with the children in your care.

Key Benefits of the Masterclass:

By completing this course, you’ll gain practical skills and knowledge that directly enhance your professional practice and improve outcomes for the children in your care.

Professional Development Benefits:
  • Develop a deeper understanding of two-year-old behaviour, allowing you to respond more effectively to challenging situations and create calmer, more productive learning environments
  • Master practical strategies for supporting emotional development, including proven approaches to managing separation anxiety, transitions, and emotional regulation
  • Build expertise in identifying and supporting schematic play, turning potentially challenging behaviours into valuable learning opportunities
Impact on Children:
  • Create more secure attachments with children in your care through enhanced understanding of their emotional and developmental needs
  • Support children’s growing independence more effectively by recognising and responding to their developmental drive for autonomy
  • Foster positive social interactions and emotional development through evidence-based strategies that respect each child’s individual journey
Impact on Your Setting:
  • Implement consistent, research-based approaches that enhance team collaboration and create more harmonious environments
  • Strengthen partnerships with parents through improved understanding and communication about typical two-year-old development
  • Develop a more positive, enabling environment that supports both children’s development and practitioners’ confidence
Professional Growth:
  • Build confidence in your ability to interpret and respond to challenging behaviours effectively
  • Enhance your professional expertise with current research and best practices in early years development
  • Add valuable skills to your professional portfolio, strengthening your position as an early years expert

Each of these benefits has been carefully designed to address real challenges faced in early years settings, providing practical solutions that make a meaningful difference to both practitioners and children.

Get the Working With 2-Year-Olds Masterclass for just £40 (approx $52 USD, $78 AUD)

Meet Your Course Instructor: Tamsin Grimmer

Drawing on extensive experience in early years education, Tamsin Grimmer brings unique insights and practical wisdom to this course on working with two-year-olds.

As a lecturer at the world-renowned Norland College and Education Director of Linden Learning, Tamsin combines academic expertise with hands-on experience to deliver practical, actionable strategies for early years professionals.

Tamsin’s professional background includes:

Bryony Rust
  • Current lecturer at Norland College, one of Britain’s most prestigious early years training institutions, known for setting the highest standards in early childhood education
  • Accomplished author of multiple books and publications on early years education, including works focusing on loving pedagogy, self-regulation, and emotional development
  • Experienced early years consultant providing professional development and training to nursery settings across the UK
  • Regular keynote speaker and webinar presenter, sharing expertise with early years professionals nationwide
  • Specialised knowledge in key areas including loving pedagogy, superhero play, school readiness, schematic behaviour, and supporting behaviours and emotions in early childhood

Tamsin’s teaching approach is grounded in her advocacy for child-centred, multi-sensory, and playful learning. Her extensive work with nursery settings gives her a deep understanding of the daily challenges practitioners face when working with two-year-olds. This practical experience, combined with her academic expertise, ensures the course delivers strategies that are both evidence-based and realistically applicable in your setting.

As an established voice in early years education, Tamsin offers more than just theoretical knowledge—she provides tested, practical approaches that support both practitioners and children. Her commitment to listening to young children and understanding their developmental journey makes her uniquely qualified to guide you through the complexities of working with two-year-olds, helping you build confidence and expertise in your professional practice.


Course Overview: Working With Two Year Olds

Complete this comprehensive professional development course in just 60 minutes, with flexible learning that fits around your schedule. Each module includes practical activities, reflection points, and implementable strategies for your setting.

Module 1: What are 2-Year-Olds Like?

  • Understand how your perspective on two-year-olds shapes their behaviour, and learn effective strategies for reframing challenging moments
  • Explore the exciting ‘language explosion’ that happens between 18-24 months, and discover how to best support this key developmental phase
  • Learn why two-year-olds’ natural helpfulness and imitation skills make this age uniquely suited for positive development opportunities

Module 2: Terrific Twos

  • Discover what two-year-olds can realistically achieve at different developmental stages, from physical abilities to social skills – essential knowledge for planning appropriate activities
  • Learn the surprising progression of play behaviours in two-year-olds, including when true cooperative play typically emerges and how to support each stage
  • Explore how two-year-olds uniquely experience pretend play and reality, while mastering practical strategies for supporting independence and decision-making skills

Module 3: Attunement

  • Master practical techniques for reading and responding to both verbal and non-verbal communication in two-year-olds
  • Learn why timing is everything when supporting emotional development, and how to provide effective ‘in the moment’ support
  • Discover the secrets of becoming a welcome play partner while avoiding common interaction pitfalls

Module 4: Attachment

  • Discover why reframing ‘attention-seeking’ as ‘attachment-seeking’ behaviour can profoundly change how you support two-year-olds
  • Learn practical strategies for creating a secure base in your setting, including surprising insights about the role of ‘transitional objects’
  • Master the art of supporting children’s emotional regulation through understanding attachment as a stress regulatory system

Module 5: Why Children Behave the Way They Do

  • Discover the unexpected factors that influence two-year-olds’ behaviour – from space and privilege to missing breakfast cereals
  • Learn how to spot the difference between challenging behaviour and normal developmental processes like schematic play
  • Master practical strategies for creating an emotionally literate environment where all feelings are accepted while maintaining appropriate boundaries

Module 6: Behaviour is Communication

  • Master the art of reading two-year-olds’ non-verbal communication through real-world examples and practical interpretation techniques
  • Learn essential ‘behaviour detective’ skills that help you uncover the true meaning behind challenging moments
  • Discover why seemingly difficult behaviour often masks important messages about children’s needs and emotions

Module 7: Our Behaviour Toolbox

  • Learn to distinguish between true tantrums and attention-seeking episodes, with specific strategies for each situation
  • Master practical techniques for common challenges, including the innovative ‘curveball technique’ for achieving cooperation without confrontation
  • Discover why traditional approaches to sharing often fail with two-year-olds, and learn developmentally appropriate alternatives that actually work

Module 8: Promoting Independence

  • Discover practical ways to adapt your environment and resources to support children’s growing independence
  • Learn how to turn everyday moments into opportunities for building confidence and autonomy
  • Master the art of offering ‘just enough’ support to encourage independence while maintaining safety and wellbeing

Module 9: Schematic Behaviour

  • Discover why repetitive behaviours like throwing cups or emptying containers are often signs of crucial brain development
  • Learn to identify common schemas in two-year-olds’ play and understand their vital role in learning and development
  • Master practical strategies for redirecting schematic play into appropriate activities while preserving valuable learning opportunities

Learning Format:

  • Interactive video sessions with pause points for reflection
  • Practical activities to apply learning to your setting
  • Note-taking opportunities for personalised action planning
  • Flexible learning—complete at your own pace

By the end of this course, you’ll have:

  • A deeper understanding of two-year-old development
  • Practical strategies to implement immediately
  • Increased confidence in managing challenging situations
  • Tools for creating more positive learning environments

Each module builds upon the previous content, creating a comprehensive approach to working with two-year-olds. The course structure allows for immediate implementation of learning, with opportunities to reflect on and adapt strategies to your specific setting.

On completion, you’ll receive a certificate for 90 minutes of professional development, acknowledging the additional time for reflection and implementation planning.

Get the Working With 2-Year-Olds Masterclass for just £40 (approx $52 USD, $78 AUD)

What Sets This Course Apart:

Unlike general early years training or broad behaviour management courses, Working with Two-Year-Olds offers a uniquely focused approach that sets it apart from standard professional development options.

Specialist Focus:

  • Dedicated entirely to understanding and supporting two-year-olds, rather than covering multiple age groups superficially
  • Addresses specific developmental needs and challenges of this crucial age group
  • Combines theoretical understanding with practical, everyday applications

Expert-Led Insights:

  • Taught by Tamsin Grimmer, bringing Norland College expertise directly to your setting
  • Based on current research and best practices in early years development
  • Informed by real experiences from nursery settings across the UK

Practical Implementation:

  • Immediate application—use strategies the very next day in your setting
  • Interactive learning with built-in reflection points
  • Real-world examples showing how to apply concepts in practice

Exceptional Value:

  • Complete professional development in just 60 minutes
  • Affordable £20 investment in your professional growth
  • Access to expertise typically only available through expensive consultancy

Professional Impact:

  • Build confidence in managing challenging situations
  • Develop expertise specific to this age group
  • Enhance your professional practice with evidence-based strategies

This course bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, offering specific, implementable strategies rather than general guidance. By focusing exclusively on two-year-olds, it provides depth and detail that broader courses cannot match, while remaining accessible and immediately applicable to your daily practice.

The combination of Tamsin’s expertise, the focused content, and the practical application makes this course an essential resource for any early years professional working with two-year-olds. At just £20, it offers exceptional value for professional development that can immediately enhance your practice and benefit the children in your care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long do I have access to the course materials?

A: You have unlimited lifetime access to all course content, allowing you to revisit the materials whenever needed.

Q: Can I pause and resume the course as needed?

A: Yes! The course is designed for busy professionals. You can pause, rewind, and revisit sections as often as you like.

Q: Do I need any special materials or equipment?

A: Just a notebook and pen for the reflection activities. The course is accessible on any device with internet access.

Q: I’m new to working with two-year-olds. Is this course suitable for me?

A: Absolutely! The course is designed for both new and experienced practitioners, providing fundamental understanding and advanced strategies.

Q: I’m an experienced practitioner. Will I learn anything new?

A: Yes! The course combines current research with practical applications, offering fresh perspectives and strategies even for seasoned professionals.

Q: How quickly can I implement what I learn?

A: The strategies taught can be implemented immediately in your setting. Each module includes practical examples and application guidance.

Q: What technology do I need to access the course?

A: Any device with internet access and audio capability will work—computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Q: Why is the course priced at £20?

A: We’ve purposely kept the price accessible to ensure all early years professionals can benefit from this specialist training, while maintaining high-quality content from an expert instructor. The special £20 expires on 17th December though – so act fast!

Q: Will I receive a certificate upon completion?

A: Yes, you’ll receive a certificate for 90 minutes of professional development upon course completion, which includes time for reflection and implementation planning.

Q: Is there any support available if I have questions?

A: Yes, as with all our products you can contact us at any time via email or our chat feature and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can – usually within 24 hours and often much faster.

Q: Can I share the course materials with my colleagues?

A: Your course access is for individual use only. However, we offer group discounts if you’d like to enrol multiple team members. Just contact us via email or the website chat feature.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the chat feature or email and we’ll get back to you straight away.

Take Your Practice to the Next Level

Ready to enhance your expertise in working with two-year-olds? This focused professional development course offers immediate, practical value for you and the children in your care.

What You’ll Gain:

  • Deep understanding of two-year-old development and behaviour
  • Practical strategies you can implement immediately
  • Enhanced confidence in managing challenging situations
  • Tools for creating calmer, more positive learning environments
  • Certificate of completion for 90 minutes of CPD

Impact on Your Setting:

  • More responsive relationships with children
  • Improved behavioural understanding across your team
  • Enhanced parent partnerships
  • Calmer, more productive learning environments
  • Better outcomes for the children in your care

Get Instant Access to the Working With 2-Year Olds Masterclass for just £40 (approx $52 USD, $78 AUD)

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Get the Working With 2-Year-Olds Masterclass for just £40 (approx $52 USD, $78 AUD)

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