Ilene, There is a definite psychodevelopmental stage that occurs from about 18 to 24 months of life. It is called "rapproachment", and is a consolidation of the child's new skills. During rapproachment, the child has an intense need for maternal support and contact. In other words, the toddler becomes like a baby again emotionally, just before taking the steps toward true emotional independence at around 2. The challenge for mom is to meet these dependency needs without discouraging growth and independence. Basically, she needs to meet dependency needs without punishing attempts to grow away from her. This is why the child can be adamant about picking their own clothes and putting them on unaided, and 10 seconds later insist on being carried. If moms realize that this is normal behavior, they are able to meet these needs more readily than if they consider it a regression. I look at it as a sort of review of infancy, toddler style, before going on to the next lesson in growing up. Any recent text on developmental psychology will be able to explain this better, I'm sure. Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC