12-18 Months Toddler Development

Toddler Milestones

In this article you will find some 12-18 months toddler development milestones.

So your little one is a year old.

What can we expect our toddlers to be able to do sometime in the next six months. They will be developing quite rapidly throughout the next months.

Please note that your 12-18 months toddler development may be delayed if they were premature.

If you are concerned about your child reaching their development milestones seek professional help.

TODDLER FOOD

Your youngster will enjoy finger foods of different types. They will start wanting to feed themselves with a spoon sometime during this period, this will be quite uncoordinated to start with. Allow your child to use their fingers to eat if they like to do that. Always offer the food that you eat through this time as he/she will begin good eating habits here.

Depending on the teeth your child has, they will either need meals liquidised or cut up very small. Offer finger foods as toddlers usually prefer these to meals where they are fed with a spoon. This is a good time to encourage your little one to drink from a cup. Your toddler still needs around 500mls of milk a day in addition to their meals.

POTTY TRAINING

Your little one will still be in nappies as they have very little control at this age. This development milestone comes later. Some parents do decide to try potty training at this age. If you do be careful not to get stressed about this as your little one will have very little control and you will need to be putting them on the potty throughout the day. It is great though for your little one to be able to move around without a nappy on at some point during the day.

BEDTIME.

Sometime during this period your toddler may want to go to one nap during the day although this will probably be around 2 to 21/2 hours. At night your child will still need around 10 to 11 hours a night. You may find your little one resisting naps and bedtime during this period, the key is to be consistent around bedtime. Have a routine that quietens everything down during the hour before bedtime.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

This is an important development milestone as your toddler may be stringing together sounds now. It will sound like talking now. You will notice that he/she will begin to point or even use their whole bodies to get something along with the sounds they are making. They may become very frustrated if you don't understand what they want.

There is nothing more precious than hearing "momma" or "dada" for the first time. At 12 months your toddler may be able to say an individual word such as "no" words that you may hear a lot in the next months. By 18 months they may be stringing two words together i.e. "mummy up" or "want drink"

Your child may enjoy copying unusual noises and animal sounds. The age at which toddlers start to speak varies quite considerably, if you are concerned then always seek advice from your health visitor. You can encourage your little one to talk by talking a lot to them as you play or work around the house.

More 12-18 months toddler development milestones

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS - 12-18 months toddler development

Your toddler should be able to sit securely and twist around to get toys or other objects that are within reach.. They will be able to pull themselves into a standing position sometime during these months. They may be able to walk holding onto you or furniture or even take a step or two by themselves.

Your little one once moving will soon move around quite fast. It will be important to make sure your home is safe, check out our page on toddler safety for tips on keeping your little ones safe.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS - Development Milestones.

Sometime during this six months your toddler will try to grasp and use a spoon to feed herself. Your toddler may be able to grasp a crayon and scribble. She may be able to turn the pages of a thick board book. Sometime during this six months your child will try to grasp and use a spoon to feed herself. He or she will be able to pick up a block and try to put it onto another block.

SOCIAL INTERACTION - Development Milestones

Toddlers of this age can become quite clingy. don't be surprised if your once sociable baby becomes a very clingy toddler. You may find your toddler won't go to people that they know very well. Don't worry too much this usually passes.

At this age your toddler may play alongside other children but will not be able to play with them.

Your toddler may find it difficult if you need to separate yourself from her even for a short time. You can help this by singing or calling to your toddler as you move about.

More 12-18 months toddler development milestones

EMOTIONAL - Development Milestones

Toddlers are very self centered at this age, they are not able to see much past themselves. They usually will enjoy physical affection from their loved ones.

Your child may become very frustrated during this time (possibly down to the fact that they understand far more than they can do physically).

They can be happy one minute and throwing a massive tantrum the next. Making sure your child has enough rest and sleep will help with your little ones emotions.

To read about your toddlers next stage 18-24 months toddler development click here.

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