A Child 12-15 Months

Growth and Development
At this age most babies will be walking, talking and starting to climb. Every day they discover different aspects of themselves, and they want to explore the world around them.

Children learn from doing. It is important to let them try, and to encourage and praise their efforts.

They enjoy movement for its own sake and are constantly active. Walking opens up new avenues for exploration. They can now reach and climb and are busy with constant inquisitive investigations.

Dressing needs patience - they just cannot keep still. They may begin to insist on doing some things for themselves, such as taking off shoes or putting things on their head.

They want to feed themselves but the spoon is usually empty and upside down by the time it reaches the mouth. It takes hours of patient repetition to learn this skill. Finger foods are an effective way of allowing them to manage their own meals, and to encourage this growing independence.

As a Social Being
It is interesting how children’s dependence on their parents decreases gradually thru the second year. As they learn more about people and the things around them, they become more skilful at performing tasks themselves.

At this age, however, bursts of independent behavior are followed by insistent demands for their parents presence and attention. These changes are often sudden, but they serve to reinforce the child’s feelings of security.

The struggle may show itself as contrary or even antisocial behavior at times. If parents can direct their disapproval at unacceptable behavior rather than towards the child, they will encourage a sense of healthy independence and self-confidence. It is better to say: ‘What a mess’ - now we’ll have to wipe up all that spilt milk, rather than: ‘You are so naughty’ - look at the mess you’ve made. In this way, they are not made to feel that they are ‚bad or ‚not loved as people. This way of commenting on behavior is difficult and requires practice and patience.

Genital exploration - or‚ playing with oneself - is a normal part of development. For children it is an extension of exploring their bodies, feelings and sensations. Some parents who feel uncomfortable about such behavior want to distract children and give them something else to play with; if so, this should be done in an easy manner so children do not feel guilty or naughty.

Everyone benefits when the entire family can spend time together. For the child, it can mean a change in play and for the main caregiver, it is an opportunity to hand this responsibility over to the other parent for a while. Sharing the responsibility gives both parents the chance to spend individual time with the child - to talk and play together. Each parent has important contributions to make.

At this age, children understand familiar activities, such as preparations for a bath or for an outing. Now that they are becoming interested in watching things at a distance, they like to play where they can see people and activity. They are often content to amuse themselves until they hear movements, then eager anticipation changes to joyous greeting if someone they know appears. They may show shyness with strangers if they have not done so previously but this will not last long.

However, they are still likely to want to return to mother and father frequently for contact and reassurance. At the same time, they begin to realize that it is possible for parents to go away and not come back. This is a very frightening thought, and they keep a close watch on parents. Threatening to leave to get children to behave can increase this fear and make them clingier.

This behavior is particularly obvious in children attending day care. It may help to prepare for this experience by leaving them with a relative or friend for short periods.

Learning Thru Play
When children begin to crawl or walk, they are developing their large muscles; at the same time they are acquiring skills such as balance.

They learn to negotiate steps and to judge what spaces they can squeeze into or thru, and what obstacles they can climb over or crawl under.

They enjoy sharing nursery rhymes, books and songs with you. They are listening to voices, practicing sounds and words, enjoying people and imitating what they do. Children of this age have probably mastered three to five words, most of which you alone will understand. They need to be with people who have the time to talk, listen and respond to them, all of which will encourage understanding and the use of words.

They need toys to cuddle, carry about and wrap up and objects they can feel, examine and sort out. They need time to play in the bath - time for fun. Finger and toe games, and dancing to music will delight them. Grandparents too like to share the baby’s pleasure in these activities.

Children watch their parents, their likes and dislikes - the way they talk with each other and the way they behave towards each other. They are learning all the time and will copy what they see. They are learning about love, affection and physical contact, doors, wheels, cups, spoons, chairs and how these simple objects that fills the world are used.

Things to suck and bite on are still needed, as are things to make a noise with, things to float in the bath, things to drop, and things to touch and smell.

This can be both a difficult and rewarding period for parents as the toddler vigorously explores the surroundings. Regard for safety is essential but care should also be taken not to prevent learning. Providing a safe and stimulating environment for play can do this.

Safety
At this age children are learning to walk, run and climb. They are also very curious and need to explore their world. Their rapidly changing interests may make it difficult to keep them in sight, so it is obvious that a responsible adult needs to be nearby. General safety precautions are now more important than ever. Toddlers can get into trouble but do not know how to get out of it. Their understanding of dangerous situations is very limited, so that constant supervision is the only answer.

Telling children ‘not to’ or otherwise stopping them does not mean that they have understood the danger - or that they will not return to complete their investigations. Consistent removal of the baby or the dangerous object does. However, too many ‚don’ts’ are as frustrating for them as for you - keeping them to a minimum is best for everyone.

Their body control is developing but it is still poor. Their coordination is insufficient for them to master their movements reliably. They may collide with anything in their path, and in trying to secure an item they want, may pull other objects on top of themselves. Once started, movements such as running, drinking or removing a hand are difficult to stop or reverse.

Statistics suggest that the following injuries are most common in this group to almost school age:

• Falls (because their balance has not developed fully)
• Inhalation of food and other substances (because the reflex of closing the respiratory passages when eating is not yet fully developed)
• Burns and scalds (because they find it hard to remove their hand from a burning object)
• Poisoning (because they find it hard to stop drinking from a tipped container)
• Drowning (because of their curiosity and interest in water)
• Motor vehicle injuries (because they are not properly secured in the car or are reversed over as a car leaves)

At this age they frequently, and often unexpectedly, run off. Leading reins may make shopping easier as well as safer for the child, and less of a risk for motorists.

In the car, the safest place for toddlers is secured in their seat in the back. This is also a legal requirement.

They still need 100 per cent adult protection. Consistent guidance helps them begin to understand that certain behaviors are dangerous. Like other skills, responsibility has to be practiced, and they have a long way to go.

Scalds from hot drinks are a major hazard for toddlers. The use of tablemats in place of a tablecloth, using wide-based mugs rather than teacups and ensuring hot drinks are in the centre of the table all help to protect the exploring child.

Cigarettes are a special danger to inquisitive toddlers. Cigarette butts and ashtrays can cause burns and even fires. Cigarettes and matches are poisonous - medical advice should be sought immediately if baby eats either of these. Children of all ages need protecting from passive smoking. Apart from the danger of a burn from a cigarette in a smoker’s hand, a child exposed to cigarette smoke can develop sensitive airways leading to asthma, bronchitis and chest infections.

To Keep Your Child Safe

• Lower the temperature of the hot water system to a medium or low setting, of around 50 degrees centigrade
• Keep kettle cords out of reach and turn saucepan handles inwards on stovetops
• Place hot drinks in the centre of the table, away from edges
• Store oven and drain cleaners in a locked cupboard or shed with pesticides and swimming pool chemicals
• Store medications and cleaning agents out of reach in a childproof cupboard
• If living in a remote area and further than half-an-hour to the nearest hospital, buy and keep a bottle of Syrup of Ipecac in the house
• Always ensure that your child is secured safely when in a cot, and away from curtains, blinds and cords
• Insist your child remains restrained at all times when in a vehicle
• Enclose the outdoor play areas your child uses
• Check where your child is before reversing the car in the driveway
• Always stay with your child near water containers of any kind (including diaper buckets and pools)
• Provide toys appropriate for this age.

Remember that 12 months of age is the time for your child to have his or her first measles, mumps and rubella vaccination.