Toddler: Your 12-month-old
This month is a good time to reflect on how far your baby has come since her birth. Most babies this age love to express affection, and most have mastered the art of hugging and kissing. She may even be able to give a kiss or hug when asked.
Social interaction
Although her attachment to you deepens, her wariness around strangers probably remains. Handling any momentary anxiety with calm, confident, loving support can help ease her fears. As she gets older, your consistent loving responses will help her gain more confidence, until one day soon she'll begin to greet new people with joy.
Your baby’s growth
At 12 months babies usually range from 27.75 inches long and 18 pounds (10th percentile) to 30.5 inches long and 23.75 pounds (90th percentile).
This month your baby may:
- develop an attachment to a comfort object, like a teddy bear or a blankie, as she continues to find new ways to soothe herself
- explore away from parents in a safe environment, as her confidence grows
- begin to walk more steadily on her own
- begin to grab up small crumbs or pieces of food with two fingers
- learn how to stack two blocks and scribble on paper
- begin to expand beyond her one-syllable vocabulary
- begin to imitate animal sounds
- continue to search for hidden objects as her understanding of permanence grows.
- begin to point to things and look at pictures as her curiosity about her world increases
What you can do
- Provide plenty of attention for your 12-month-old. Lavish her with praise for her accomplishments.
- Give her lots of objects to explore. Try cloth books with zippers, buttons, and ties.
- Continue to help her language skills develop by labeling everything verbally. When you're bathing her, name her body parts. As you dress her, name the pieces of clothing. When you feed her, name the food.