How your baby's growing
Happy birthday, baby! Your first year is over and babyhood is behind you. Hold on for the toddler years... In the coming months, your little one will seek more independence, discover the world from an upright position, find his sense of humour, and best of all, learn to say he loves you.
Your life: easing separations Though your baby is beginning to discover his independence, he probably still has bouts of
separation anxiety. This is natural. To ease departures, allow plenty of time. Getting to the
nursery early or getting him settled with the
babysitter early gives him a chance to adjust. It's best to be matter-of-fact when you leave.
Don't sneak away or prolong the agony with extended good-byes; make it quick, with just one kiss. If you listen outside, you'll usually find that your baby's tears subside soon after you're out of sight. It's hard not to feel guilty, but you can help your child feel more independent by not hovering over him all the time.
Read more about helping your baby make a
smooth transition between your home and his carer's home.
Keeping toys fresh It's a good idea to put away some of those
new toys and bring them out a few at a time, so your baby doesn't get overwhelmed. You'll need to sort out toy storage now, to keep all the pieces of that jigsaw or shape sorter together. Keep hold of shoe boxes, biscuit tins and gift boxes, which all make useful storage boxes. If your baby has some birthday money to spend, you'll notice that a frustratingly large number of toys are labelled unsuitable for under-threes –
find out why.
Baby signing In the second year, many toddlers become frustrated by their inability to communicate their needs – they know what they want but they don't have the language skills to say it.
Baby signing is becoming an established technique to get over this stage. You and your toddler can quickly learn a handful of signs to help her let you know when she wants more food or needs a drink, for example. While some people worry that using sign language will delay talking, the opposite has been found to be true.
Parent tip: baby book club "I started reading to my baby when she was
two months old. I kept to a small group of three books with rhyming words and colourful pictures. Now she'll leaf through any book or magazine in her path! When she's in the mood, she'll babble as she turns the pages herself." – Gloria
Things to consider Your baby's MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) immunisation is due in the next few weeks. You can find out more details in our
immunisation chart .
1 year old, second week
Introducing the dentist It's time for your toddler's first official visit to the
dentist. It may seem a little early, but
caring for your toddler's teeth as soon as they emerge will reduce her chances of needing fillings when she's older.
Hopefully you'll have already started taking her to your own appointments so that she can get used to all the different sights, sounds and smells of a dentist's surgery. From now on it's a good idea to start making separate appointments for her too.
Your toddler's first visit is an opportunity to check that all is well with her baby teeth. It also gives your dentist an opportunity to offer pointers on
brushing her teeth, preventing decay and making sure she gets the right amount of
fluoride.
At home, continue cleaning your toddler's teeth using a small brush with soft bristles and a small smear of children's fluoride toothpaste. Children under three should use a toothpaste with a fluoride level of at least 1000ppm (parts per million). Try to use small, circular movements rather than sawing backwards and forwards. You may find you get a better view of your toddler's mouth if you cradle her on your lap with her head resting in the crook of your arm. To distract your child while you do the job, try giving her a toothbrush to hold, too.
Your life: putting milk on the menu Cow's milk can probably become a bigger part of your child's
diet now that she's passed the 12-month mark.
Whole, or full-fat, milk is usually the beverage of choice at this age because toddlers need fat to fuel their growth and their considerable energy needs. You should give her this until she's at least two years old.
When drunk in moderate amounts, cow's milk has many of the nutrients a growing toddler needs. Nutritionists recommend that one-year-olds drink no more than 350ml (two thirds of a pint) of milk a day.
Some toddlers love their milk and the challenge for parents is not to go overboard. A child who drinks more than 350ml may fill up on milk and miss out on other foods that are important for a balanced diet.
At the other extreme are toddlers who turn up their nose at cow's milk, at least at first. After all, it has a different texture, taste and even temperature to
breastmilk or
formula. Parents of reluctant milk-drinkers can try mixing whole milk with some breastmilk or
formula milk at first (say, one part whole milk and three parts of your toddler's usual milk). Then slowly increase the amount of milk to 100 per cent.
Parent tip: buying books "I buy children's books for my son and include a sentimental note inside the cover related to the book's subject. Not only will it be a special keepsake for him one day, but it also builds up his library." – Courtney
Things to consider Does your little one love hearing the same sounds and stories over and over again.
Find out why.
If you feel ready to stop breastfeeding, find out how to
wean your toddler from the breast.
Or maybe
extended breastfeeding is best for both of you?
1 year old, third week
Beyond babbling It's an exciting time when, after months of babbling, your child begins to
form recognisable words. It's not an overnight process, and the pace varies significantly from child to child. One thing is sure, though: he understands far more than he can say. Some things to watch for include:
Gestures that speak louder than words. Your toddler may be a man of few words but talking up a storm in gestures, like raised arms for "up" or a pointed finger for "What's that?" Toddlers who learn
sign language as babies are especially "fluent".
Words with many meanings. An early word like "joos" may mean, "I'm thirsty for milk," "No, I want water," or "Mum! I dropped my bottle!" Listen to the tone. He'll say the same word in different ways and using different gestures.
Words from everyday life. Perhaps not surprisingly, your child's first words probably relate to things in his immediate life: "Mama" and "Dada", other favourite people or pets or words to do with eating ("baba" for bottle), sleeping ("nite-nite"), possessions ("ba" for bear) or desires ("up").
Your life now: big dangers for small fingers
Your toddler's
pincer grasp is probably well developed by now, so he can pick up small objects between his thumb and forefinger fairly easily. He may enjoy practising this skill on any little thing he finds on the floor, which is a lot closer and more visible to his keen eyes than it is to yours.
Be extra careful about small but potentially dangerous items that fall to the floor without adults noticing, such as vitamins and other pills, pieces of food (and pet food), pushpins from the kitchen noticeboard, tiny toy parts used by older siblings and so on. They could end up in your child's mouth.
Parent tip: learning languages
"Kids grow up all over the world learning more than one language, and our children can too. Malaysians know this better than most other people. We should encourage and help our kids learn more than one language." – Vishnu
Things to consider
1 year old, fourth week
How your toddler's growing: copy-cat behaviour Your child is watching everything you do. Toddlers love to
copy the behaviour of people around them, especially their parents. It's how they learn basic behaviours.
You may see your child trying to brush her hair, wiping a table with her bib, pressing buttons on your mobile, or trying on your sunglasses. Eventually she'll pick up on your words and speech patterns, too.
But imitation has a downside. Your child may watch you take vitamins or pills and later, when you're not looking, decide to do the same herself. So be vigilant about safety. Look for child-resistant caps on medicines and vitamins, and store the pills out of reach. Don't let her see how you open child-safety latches – she'll be eager to open them just like you do.
Your life now: marking milestones Worried that your little one isn't toddling around on two feet yet? There's probably no need for concern. The normal range for reaching this milestone is very broad, and some children don't
walk until 16 or 17 months.
The 12-month mark is a good time to remember that each child is unique and meets
milestones at their own pace. What's important is the progression – in other words, that she's continuing to develop and learn new skills.
Developmental guidelines simply show what your child has the potential to accomplish – if not right now, then soon. Trust your instincts, and don't hesitate to bring up concerns with your family doctor or paediatrician if you're worried or want to know what to watch for.
Parent tip: reuse disposable wipes "Most disposable wipes can be reused. In my house, they actually survive two or three journeys through the washing machine. When they're clean, I put them back in the tub with the others." – Libby
Things to consider Help your child become more independent.
