Childhood is a magical time, for both you and your little one. A time of great discovery, when everything your child does fills you with love, intrigue, and fascination. Every day they seem to develop a new quirk or showcase another adorable side to their growing little personality.

And as your child moves through the different stages of their early development, our expectations of how they should be acting will usually be based on these stages. Whether they’re a baby, a toddler, or a preschooler, we often feel safe in knowing we can roughly predict their behaviour based on what ‘category’ they fall under.

And although we know what to expect as our children move through these different periods of early life, there’s a point in their early development that we can’t quite put our fingers on. The point where their age and behaviour signify that they’re not a baby anymore - but not quite a toddler either.

As a parent, this time can make you feel like you’re out in the wilderness. You don’t know what activities are suitable for your child, or what toys, either. Nothing seems to quite fit! As confusing, frustrating and underrepresented as this stage is, we’ve found a name for it that might shed some light…

What is a ‘taby’, and what do I need to know about them?

Taby (tay-bee) – noun

A ‘taby’ is a made-up term to describe the period of early childhood development when a child possesses both toddler-like and baby-like qualities.

Although it can be difficult to recognise exactly when your child is a ‘taby’, remember that there is no defined point when they will transform into one. Instead, follow your gut instinct, and try to recognise when you believe your child is in that in-between space of being a baby and a toddler. Remember, no one knows your child better than you, so you need to trust yourself on this one!

However, here are two questions you can ask yourself to help you to recognise when they are passing through this stage:

Is my child walking? (When a child walks, this signifies they are leaving the baby stage behind)

Is my child talking? (A child learning to communicate means they are nearing the toddler stage)

If you’re still finding it difficult to recognise the parameters of this stage, some parents who have used the term ‘taby’, have reported their children reaching this stage when they were around 15 to 25 months old, 13 to 23 months old, and 11 to 20 months old.

Now that we know more about what a taby is, let’s explore more about why understanding this term is so helpful to parenting.

Why is understanding what a ‘taby’ is helpful to parenting?

You can meet your child where they are truly at. Recognising when your child is moving through the ‘taby’ stage is really important, as it allows you to meet them where they are at, and appreciate them for who they are during this time, rather than forcing graduation into toddlerhood before they are ready.

You can plan lessons, games, and activities properly suited to their age. If you assume that your child is automatically ready to take on toddler lessons, games, and activities before they are ready, they won’t be properly equipped to deal with this. By understanding ‘tabyhood’ better, this won’t be a problem anymore.

You are able to honour their unique qualities, skills, and needs during this time. When raising a child, although it’s important to challenge and encourage them to develop, it’s not good to rush their growth. After all, this point in your child’s life is precious, and just as important as all the other, more ‘defined’ stages. Your child needs to be nurtured during this time, just as much as they do when they are a baby, toddler, or preschooler. They need to be honoured for the unique qualities, skills, and needs they have during these moments.

You are able to give yourself some credit as a parent who is trying their best. When your child is moving through the ‘taby’ stage, it is very normal to feel overwhelmed, and like nothing you do is right. Simply recognising where your child is truly at can be extremely reassuring.

Remember that ultimately, the label is not important. Each child is different and unique, and you should make sure to recognise that too!

What is the age between a baby and a toddler – a taby?

The in-between age you haven't heard about, explained by Unii.