Get yourselves ready for the next stage in toddler development: The nitty-gritty of parenting is about to start. Your toddler is developing a personality and you could suddenly discover that your adorable baby at one year and two months old has a mind of his/her own.
It’s also time to step up and start teaching your cutie pie about rules and boundaries. But don’t worry – the terrible twos are a long way off! Your toddler exercises both his mind and heart, showering you with hugs and kisses.
1 Year And 2 Month Old Development And Milestones: Is Your Tot On Track?
Physical Development
At this stage, your child’s median length and weight* should be as follows:
- Boys
– Length: 77.9 cm (30.7 inches)
– Weight: 10.1 kg (22.3lb)
- Girls
– Length: 76.4 cm (30.1 inches)
– Weight: 9.7 kg (21.5lb)
And your child’s head circumference* should be:
- Boys: 46.58 cm (18.3 inches)
- Girls: 45.43 cm (17.9 inches)
By now, most toddlers can walk a few steps unaided. In fact, your child’s gross motor skills are expanding rapidly. Not only can your little one probably walk, but he/she may also be able to stand up alone from a sitting position.
And if your child has mastered that, it’s only a small toddler development leap to learning how to bend over and stand up again – without toppling over.
Other skills you can keep an eye out for include walking upstairs with the aid of an adult and even dancing. Yes, if your family loves to play music, you might catch your baby jigging along. He/she doesn’t have a sense of rhythm yet but that won’t stop your little one from joining.
Don’t worry if your little one wobbles around like a cute little ducky when he/she walks. This is because he/she is still bow-legged and also probably because he/she is wearing a fat diaper! This is completely normal and part of toddler development. In time your child’s legs will straighten out as he/she begins to walk more upright.
As part of your child’s fine motor skills, your little one might be beginning to scribble with crayons (if you let him/her, that is) or stack two blocks on top of each other. Your child may also be able to turn the pages in a book.
Don’t worry about your “duck-walking” toddler. Eventually, he’ll get it right and get rid of his cute wobbly gait.
Tips
- During your reading sessions with your toddler, get him/her to turn the pages if it is a board book. Paper pages might be a little tricky for now because your child might end up tearing the page accidentally.
- Expect and allow some mess, whether it is during mealtime or craft time because both are essential activities that help improve your toddler’s fine motor skills.
- Your toddler might not be able to hold the crayons correctly for now, but it is still good pincer grip practice. You can also teach your little one to distinguish between colours even if all his/her artwork is mostly scribbling.
When To Talk to Your Doctor
If your child,
- Does not point to objects and pictures.
- Is unable to stand unaided.
Cognitive Development
Your toy-eating toddler is not hungry, but using all his senses to discover the world.
As part of your toddler’s one year and two-month-old development and milestones, your child is filled with wonder and curiosity. His/her growing physical skills enable him/her to discover a whole new part of the world: the insides of things. Your child can get into cupboards and drawers, open things, empty things, put things back into other things.
At this toddler development stage, your child is insatiably curious, so be sure to have child-proofed your home. Your little one might even have figured out how to twist and open bottle caps, so all manner of cleaning liquids should be locked away.
All this learning means your child’s brain is busy-busy-busy! It might seem as though his/her attention span has gotten shorter, but that’s just because there’s so much to see and do!
Your little one is still exploring the world with his/her senses which means he/she is bound to stick everything into his/her mouth. Your child loves small things, picking them up off the floor, studying them. They also understand now that you and he/she and the world are three separate things, so he/she is figuring out his/her own place.
This is the time for parents to begin setting boundaries. Your child is still too young for timeouts or other types of consequences. So for now, you might need to keep repeating the rules and put up safety gates at staircases and kitchen entrances. It might seem a lot of effort, but your toddler will be able to explore safely and that is a big pay off.
Tips
- Since your toddler is going to be opening cupboards and drawers a lot during his/her one year and two-month-old development and milestones, why not designate a safe one for him/her to empty things out? Fill it up with toy utensils, plastic fruits and empty plastic bottles – things your child will want to take out. You can always show him/her how to put things back into the cupboard, but make sure to childproof the rest and store household detergents in a safe place.
- A sensory bin is also a great idea and might actually keep your tot occupied for ages! They are fun and involve many types of tactile sensory play!
- If the weather is clear, take your child outdoors. The opportunities for new experiences and growth are endless.
When To Talk to Your Doctor
If your child,
- Does not point to objects and pictures.
- Is unable to stand unaided.
Social And Emotional Development
Be prepared for a list of other things that your child may start fearing. It’s normal and part of your toddler’s 1 year and 2-month-old development and milestones.
You are still your child’s favourite person in the whole world! He/she loves to play with you, so do spend some time with your child and see where he/she leads you for a change.
Interaction like this is very educational for your toddler and will develop his/her sense of autonomy and self-confidence. This will also give your child the best possible grounding for achievement in later life.
One behaviour that your child already shows is a willingness to help you. Try and let him/her take part in your household errands. It probably means more work for you, but at the same time, it’s quality time with your little one.
Your toddler might also begin independent play in short bursts of time. This newfound independence is part of his/her 14 month old development and milestones. However, independence means new fears too. Your little one could be scared of the dark stairwell or having no lights in his room. Don’t worry, this is normal at this toddler development stage.
Tips
- Give your toddler simple house chores like passing you the laundry so that you can hang it up. Your child will be really happy to help you, and this will give him/her a great sense of achievement.
- Continue to arrange play dates so that your toddler can socialise and play alongside his/her peers.
- Play “Mirror Me” and have your little one copy your sad, happy and angry face. When he/she knows the names of these emotions, he/she can better express his/her own feelings.
When To Talk to Your Doctor
If your child,
- Is particularly afraid of new situations and generally reluctant to try anything outside his comfort zone.
- Seems lethargic and unmotivated to try out new things.
Language And Speech Development
Your toddler will be trying hard to make you understand him/her. His/her vocabulary is growing, and your toddler is exercising his/her voice (and lungs) by yelling!
Listen out for your little one stringing sounds together to make new ones. He/she is on the cusp of speaking. Some toddlers might even say a few recognisable words by now. So this is, indeed, an exciting part of toddler development.
As part of your toddler’s one year and two-month-old development and milestones, he/she can understand so many more words than he/she can actually say. Your child’s spoken vocabulary still consists of three to five words, like “Mama”, “Dada”, or “ball” or even “dog”, but he/she continues to learn the meanings of new words every day.
None of this is any indication of your child’s future development or education. Legend has it that Einstein did not begin speaking until three years old!
Tips
- Play sorting games with your little one, such as stacking rings on top of each other or a shape sorting cube.
- Engage your child in conversation by asking where the rings or shapes go or you can always teach him/her the names or colours of the shapes.
- Bring a ball with you and play outside with your toddler because he/she can already respond correctly to one-step verbal commands, such as “Give the ball to Daddy.”
- When reading to your child, make animal sounds or read in an animated voice when the character speaks. He/she will have so much fun pointing out the correct animals and characters in the book.
When To Talk to Your Doctor
If your child,
- Does not understand simple, common words like “mama” or “milk”.
- Is not using any words at all during his/her 1 year and 2-month-old development and milestones stage.
Health and Nutrition
By 1 year 2 months, your little one can be given four small meals per day (¾ to full cup/bowl per meal), plus breastfeeds. You could also offer one to two snacks in between meals and milk feeds, although these are not essential.
Typically, the calorie intake for boys and girls of this age are as follows:
- Boys: 818.9 Kcal/day
- Girls: 783.3 Kcal/day
Their nutrition should be composed of the following:
Your toddler needs around 25 grams of protein a day for optimum growth and development, at this age. What does this amount look like? An adult-palm-sized piece of chicken or fish, or a child-palm-sized piece of red meat or pork, or five to six tablespoons of beans, peas or other pulses, or five to six dice-sized cubes of tofu. Eggs are also a wonderful source of protein for your child. Offer one egg a day. Avoid fatty pieces of meat and choose lean options whenever possible. Remember to de-bone fish very carefully before giving it to your child.
Your child needs about three cups of fruit every day. Fruit offers a marvellous mix of vitamins, minerals and fibre that are crucial to your child’s good health. The fibre in fruit ensures your little one’s digestive system operates smoothly. As part of your child’s daily requirement of fruit, you could offer a mix that adds up to three cups. Avocado is an all-rounder in the world of fruit, offering good fats and plenty of other nutrients. Papaya and mango are great at preventing constipation, and bananas are good on-the-go fruit snacks.
Toddlers can be notoriously fussy when it comes to vegetables. However, veggies form a very important component of your little one’s diet, and he/she needs around 1.5 cups of vegetables every day. Ensure that you offer a “rainbow” of vegetables to your toddler rather than sticking to just one or two types. The greater the variety in colours, the more nutrients your child will get. Remember to add one orange or yellow vegetable (e.g. sweet potato, carrot) to your child’s daily diet for essential Vitamin A.
Feed your child about three ounces or about 85 grams of grains every day. This is equal to around 1.5 to two slices of bread, or one cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or half (1/2) cup of cooked cereal, or one cup of rice or pasta. Avoid white, processed grains and opt for wholemeal/wholegrain varieties
Your child now only requires 400 to 700 ml ((16 to 24 ounces) of milk a day. Continue breastfeeding if you can. You could also offer fresh, full-cream cow’s milk, too. Throw in full-fat yoghurt and cheese to make up your child’s daily dairy requirement.
In a nutshell, here’s what your child needs every day (refer above for what the amounts look like):
- Fruits: 3 cups for boys and girls
- Vegetables: 1.5 cups for boys and girls
- Grains: up to 3 ounces for boys and girls
- Proteins: 25g for boys and girls
- Milk: 16 to 24 ounces of whole milk for boys and girls (your child does not require formula milk anymore)
- Water: 1200 ml for boys and girls
Tips
- Your toddler’s quest for independence could lead to picky eating. However, this same urge for doing things by alone could also solve the problem. Your child might eat a lot better if you let him/her feed him/herself.
- The best way to encourage your child to eat healthily is to set a good example yourself. Let your child see you eat a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, and also offer what you are eating to your child.
- While small quantities of added salt and sugar to food are okay, try to limit these as much as possible.
- Avoid processed meats, fizzy drinks and sweets. Save the cookies and cupcakes for extra-special occasions.
- Give your child whole, fresh fruits rather than juice. Juices (especially shop-bought ones) can contain a lot of sugar and are often stripped off fibre.
- Keep a careful eye on your child especially if he/she self-feeds. Ensure all food is cut into manageable chunks or strips to prevent choking hazards.
When To See A Doctor
If your child,
- Constantly throws up after eating.
- Refuses to try new foods, even in tiny quantities.
- Breaks out in a rash after mealtime.
- Is severely under- or over-weight.
Vaccinations And Common Illnesses
Your child’s completed vaccination schedule up to now should look like this:
- BCG
- Hepatitis B (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- DTaP (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- IPV (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- Hib (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- Pneumococcal Conjugate (1st and 2nd dose)
- Meningitis C
- MMR – 1st dose: Immunisation against Measles, Mumps & Rubella
- Pneumococcal Conjugate – 1st booster: Immunisation against Pneumococcal Disease
Parents do note that following MMR vaccination, some children develop a fever and rash 1-2 weeks later or swelling of the glands of the neck after 3 – 4 weeks. To read more about your child’s vaccination schedule, click here.
You might notice that your little one contracts colds quite often, especially if he/she has started daycare. While it’s stressful to see your toddler struggle with a blocked nose or cough, it’s also a normal part of the development and helps his/her immune system grow stronger.
Other common illnesses include Hand Foot and Mouth disease and throat infections. While you should never treat any illness in your child alone (unless you are a doctor), you could try simple home remedies to ease minor irritations in your child. For example, mild fever can be controlled by applying a lukewarm, damp towel to your child’s forehead, armpits and groin area. Or you could elevate your child’s mattress (the top half) to ease nasal congestion at night and help him/her breathe easier.
If your child has severe symptoms (e.g. a very phlegmy cough, or fever over 38 degrees Celsius, or diarrhoea/vomiting), you must consult a doctor without delay.
Tips
- A warm chicken broth is a wonderfully soothing meal for a toddler down with a cold/cough. Other than nutrients, it helps keep your little one hydrated.
- Don’t stress if your child goes off food while ill. Just make sure he/she drinks enough liquids.
- Avoid giving over-the-counter drugs for mild fever and coughs. If your child’s fever spikes or his/her cough turns for the worse, see a doctor for advice.
When To Talk to Your Doctor
If your child,
- Has fever over 38 degrees Celsius.
- Vomits or has diarrhoea for more than a day.
- Breaks out in a rash.
- Is dull and listless.
Please note that development milestones vary from child to child. If you have any concerns regarding your little one’s growth, do not hesitate to consult your paediatrician.
Symptoms To Check For COVID-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought its own set of challenges when it comes to a toddler’s health. Despite taking all the necessary precautions, the mutating virus is creating new problems globally when it comes to risking an infection. As a parent, you can’t always be too prepared and need to watch out for these symptoms if your toddler is running a fever:
- Cough
- Breathing trouble
- Sore throat, congestion, or a runny nose
- Chills
- Muscle pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of taste or smell
- Diarrhoea
- Fatigue
At the same time, please note that some cases will be asymptomatic and show no direct symptoms. Make sure to consult your paediatrician on the necessary steps to be taken. For mild symptoms, the doctor will recommend treating your little one at home, while consulting either on video calls or schedule a home visit.
However, if the symptoms worsen, make sure to take your toddler to the hospital at the earliest.
*Disclaimer: This is the median length and weight, and head circumference according to WHO standards.
Source: WebMD
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