Activities and Expectations for Your Baby 12-18 Months Old

During the 12- 18 Month stage your toddler should master the very important milestone of learning to walk. Gross motor development will move quickly during these few months. Your toddler is now becoming independent and will develop his own interests and toy preferences. With his new found independence your toddler's interest in self feeding and dressing will increase. Your toddler is now able to isolate his pointer finger and play with toys using both his right and left hand. He will begin to stack 2 or more cubes, place pegs in a pegboard, and place a circle in the right place of a puzzle board. You’ll be delighted as your toddler indicates the first signs of pretend play such as bringing a bottle to a doll’s mouth. Interest and attention for books will increase and your toddler will want to turn the pages himself. Your toddler should have some words in his vocabulary and will be responding to simple requests. Your baby will love to be the center of attention during this stage and will begin to give you hugs and kisses.

 During this stage your baby will be motor driven.  He may be more interested in moving then social interaction or even playing with toys.  This is good,  he will need this movement practice to help develop his stability in upright and build his balance. This would be a good time to introduce a rocking horse.  Hold your toddlers hand and help him at the steps. Introduce him to ball games and bubbles. Your baby can start playing with toys such as mega blocks and large pop beads, items that he can put together and pull apart.  He will begin to stack cubes. He will enjoy basic shape puzzles, pegboards, nesting cups, and shape sorters. It's time to introduce crayons and paper to hold and scribble on. Increase your song repertoire and play in song such as "open- shut- them". Provide animated stuffed animals your toddler can activate and sing with. You can teach your toddler body parts and animal sounds.  Encourage your toddler to start participating in routines such as clean up and taking off his own socks before the bath.  Encourage independent feed skills with utensils and assist as needed. Keep talking and reading to your baby and encouraging more language development.

Expectations and Activities For Your Baby at 9-11 Months Old.

From about 9 to 11 months your baby will go from sitting to crawling to pulling up on furniture. Your baby will begin to demonstrate improved control of the use of her hands as observed in her toy manipulation skill.  She will be observed banging blocks together and taking things in and out of containers. Your baby will begin to self feed finger foods. Your baby’s attention span will increase. She’ll enjoy babbling and try to engage with you socially with games such as "peek-a-boo".  Your baby will begin actively exploring and experimenting with items in her environment. She will learn to understand words such as "no" and "by, by". Your baby will be able to remove her socks and should become cooperative with dressing.

During this stage provide many opportunities for floor time play.  Your babies main interest will be movement. Give your baby containers with objects he can spill and then refill. Offer your baby cause and effect toys. Toys that he can activate with a switch or a hand movement. Hide toys for your baby to find such as under a blanket or cup. Encourage hand clapping and waving "by, by". Your baby will enjoy songs with associated hand movements such as "eensy-beensy-spider".  Keep talking to your baby.  Respond to his sounds with conversation. Read to your baby. Provide varied kinds of music for your baby to listen to at times.  Encourage finger feeding and provide utensils for your baby to get used to holding. Provide movement opportunities for your baby such as the swing in the park.

Expectations and Activities for Baby: 5-8 Months Old

At 5-8 months your baby can sit, roll over, and comfortably play while on her stomach. When on her stomach you might notice your baby reach for her toes and bring them toward her mouth.  Your baby is able to hold objects in both hands and transfer objects from one hand to another. Your baby will start holding her own bottle.  She is beginning to manipulate smaller objects with her hands and fingers. Your baby is able to see things at a distance and has become more aware of her environment and people. She is actively enjoying visual and auditory play. Your baby should be responding to her name. She’ll develop the skill of object permanence. This means knowing that something exists even when they don't see it. Along with this new discovery will come the development of stranger anxiety.

During this stage offer many opportunities for playing on the floor with varied toys and objects. Keep using the boppy c shaped pillow until you feel your baby is sitting by herself safely. Offer her socks with rattles on the bottom to further encourage toe grabbing and movement. Provide toys with strings to pull on and manipulative's such as blocks. Offer teething toys and objects your baby can safely mouth.  Toys with suction bases can be place on high chairs and carriages for your baby’s entertainment. Your baby will enjoy games like peek-a-boo and listening to you sing. Keep up those animated conversations with your baby.