Your little one has grown from a helpless baby, to a strong child with a whole range of developmental skills and abilities. Congratulations! You will be celebrating his first birthday soon.
Taking his first steps
Your baby may be an expert crawler. In this case she will probably be pulling herself up on furniture. Some babies at 12 months may be walking confidently now, but plenty more aren’t. If he doesn’t walking yet, don’t worry – it take some children several more weeks or months to start walking alone. The average age for their first steps is around 13 months.
Hand and finger control
Baby’s ability to pick up things with 12 months is masterful. She became obsessed with checking what is on the floor and on the sofa. She will pick up and throw her toys with one hand. She will be able to feed herself with her forefinger and thumb. Your child probably thinks it is fun to push, throw and knock everything down. She will build brick towers easier, although she still prefer knocking them down. Stacking stuff and putting objects in and out of containers are favorite play for babies at this age.
Growth
Most babies will have grown by about 25cm since birth. Their weight will have doubled or tripled. But, if your baby is moving a lot, they’re burning a lot of calories and their weight gain might slow down. Their brain has grown a lot too and it has reached 60% of its adult size.
Talking
Baby’s vocabulary at this age probably consist of only a couple of words besides mama and dada. Your one year old can babble in what sound like short sentences, complete with vocal inflections. Your baby may also be able to respond to simple questions and commands. Try with, where is your nose or mouth, or hand me the toy, and gesture toward the object.
This is good time to begin teaching your child the basics of good manners. Explain “thank you” and “please” and use them as often you can. The more you talk to your baby, the faster her vocabulary will grow. Read her books, sing nursery rhymes, count the stairs as you climb them, point out the names and colors of fruits and vegetables. This way you’ll help him learning new words.
Separation anxiety
Your baby wants to feel secure. She loves you and depends on you, so she’ll be distressed when you leave. It’s a sign that she feel secure with you. When you go out without her, make sure you say goodbye to her. She know that people come and go. If you disappear without telling her she may feel more insecure.
Please, remember that your child is an individual! Not all babies and children develop at the same time and in the same way. Development milestones vary widely and development guidelines show what your child has the potential to accomplish. If you have any questions about your toddler’s development, always ask her pediatrician.
