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Your toddler is developing at an amazing rate and before you know it he/she is over a year old.
15-month baby milestones are many, and your baby will achieve them in order to be a healthy and happy child. From small smiles to full-hearted laughter you as parents will witness the many wonders of life as your toddler grows up.
15 Months Old Toddler Development
Your 15-month-old toddler is developing fast with his cognitive skills, motor skills and language skills shaping up. There are several milestones he will achieve around this time and begin to understand and grasp the world around him.
Physical Development
Running behind your little one can be both healthy and difficult at the same time, but you will have to learn how to keep up with your baby will be all over the house soon. Every day you will watch your child accomplish more physical goals than the previous day. Your 15-month-old baby weight will be around 21-24 pounds provided he/she has received nutritious, healthy food options including breast milk
Some of the things your cutie will be able to do are: –
- Be able to walk slow and steady steps with or without help
- Will be able to hold himself/herself up and sit up with no support
- Will be able to grab toys and things with their hands with a firm grip
- Will have developed hand to mouth coordination to a certain extent, i.e. will try and put food and anything else in sight into his/her mouth
- Your baby will try to participate in activities by trying and helping you around the house either by picking up the phone and talking or by using the mop
- Your child will also be learning to use all his/her five senses such as touch, smell, examination, sight and sound and begin making associations with them
Social and Emotional Development
Your child is developing various abilities to interact with his/her environment including social skills and emotional development.
Here are some sure signs of emotional development in your child
- Loves being the centre of attention
- Can identify himself/herself in the mirror
- Will start smiling and recognising people in her environment
- Starts getting their own likes and dislikes
- Boldly explores and tries new things
- Hugs and kisses you
- Dislikes sharing toys
- Has temper tantrums about things
Cognitive and Language Development
By the time your toddler has reached 15 months, he/she is capable of simple sounding words such as ‘Ma’ and ‘Pa’. His language and cognitive abilities are developing rapidly, and your baby will be more independent and willing to participate in the conversation in his/her own way
Most 15-month-olds will be able to
- Recognise the tone of voice, i.e. angry, upset or happy
- Will be able to use simple works such as ‘ball’, ‘dog’ ‘cat.’
- Your toddler will be able to understand the word ‘No’ and will also use it effectively and frequently
- He/she will also be able to grasp action-based words such as ‘Show me’, ‘Look here.’
- Your toddler will be able to understand more words than he/she can speak
Behaviour
As your toddler approaches what is popularly termed as the ‘terrible twos’, i.e. 24 months or 2 years, he or she will start developing a personality of their own and may subject you to some of his/her temper tantrums. Your child will also be very curious about his/her environment and will be quite participative in everything. Your 15 month old also might start exhibiting a bit more stubborn behaviour when it comes to a lot of things. At this stage, it is important for you as parents to be more assertive and get him/her to calm down first and not encourage destructive behaviour. While don’t go too easy, also don’t be too hard on your baby. Moderation is the key to manage his/her behaviour.
Food and Nutrition
While your toddler grows, his/her food and nutrition is extremely important, and one of the key components of their diet will be breast milk. Breast milk contains all the nutrients required for a 15 months baby food. Not only that it also helps raise the baby’s immunity thereby protecting him/her from most illnesses.
The World Health Organisation recommends to continue breastfeeding till the age of 2, but it also needs to be supplemented with solid foods and formula milk. Although, remember to never substitute formula with breast milk. Mothers of 15-month-olds should try and get at least 3-4 times feeding done. This can get a bit tough especially if you are working, so you can then prepare a pumping schedule to ensure your baby is getting enough breast milk. It is also important to give different textured food to your toddler so that they can learn to use their molars and chew their food. Prepare a food schedule for them which also includes two snacks through the day so that they can start getting used to solid food. If you are trying to wean your baby off breast milk, let them take the lead and decide when they can confidently give up breast milk.
Sleeping
Your baby is developing his/her personality and having little nuances of things that they like and dislike. Your toddler is also teething and maybe a bit restless when it comes to sleeping continuously. Your baby will also love to cuddle and sleep for 3-4 hours at a stretch. Napping in the afternoon will also become a common recurrence, but also make sure you make these naps shorter so that he/she can fall asleep well at night. It is important to create a routine before bed-time and start regularising the same so that your baby can fall asleep at the same time every day. Keep your baby’s sleeping environment as consistent as possible in terms of temperature, placement and toys so that he/she can put their fears at rest and go to sleep peacefully.
Play and Activities
Bonding with your baby is integral to growing up in a healthy fashion. Your baby will also start asking to help out around the house and will try to learn new skills. One of the best way to introduce new activities and learning is by playing games with your 15-month-old. Your baby would have become an expert at pee-a-boo so make it a habit to continue that. You can also teach your kid about word association by teaching them about animal sounds.
Another fun activity to do with your baby would be to play hide and seek. Since toddlers this age love peeks a boo, this will be a hit. While playing with your toddler, tire them out in the afternoons so that they can sleep soundly at night.
Bath time is also a great opportunity for you to play with your kid. Introduce toys and bubble baths and essential oils so that your kid can have fun. You can also plan play dates with your toddler and a friend so that they can learn how to share and play with other kids and develop their social skills further.
Tips for Parents
- Silly songs and games should become a part of your bonding routine with your toddler
- If you are travelling, make sure you have a separate baby seat for your child where he/she can be strapped in securely
- Make sure you have a fully stocked diaper bag handy which includes extra diapers, bottles, toys, tissues and extra underwear
- Start creating a stable and regular routine which your toddler can get used to. For example, you can include a bath routine before bedtime
- Keep your toddler busy through the day especially during the afternoon with games and toys so that they can tire themselves out and fall asleep easily at night
- Keep your paediatrician number handy in case of any emergency
- Be patient and start teaching your toddler manners from very young. Be assertive but not to an extent where the child develops a fear
- Make sure you and your partner takes time to do all the chores evenly, and you get some ‘me time’ for yourself
- Start introducing healthy food options and different kind of fruits and vegetables so that they do not become fussy eaters.
Consult a Doctor If
While you may have taken your kid to the doc for their regular vaccines such as measles and mumps and Hepatitis, it is also important to prepare a chart with regular check-ups in mind for your toddler. If your toddler is doing anything out of the ordinary such as not being able to poop for days or pee for days, then it is time to consult your doc. As parents its also important to watch out for any redness in the eyes, any ear pain which may be making them uncomfortable. Some of the sure signs to watch out for is your baby is uncomfortable and crying and has difficulty falling asleep. Your baby also tries to touch inside his/her ears frequently or in the case of an eye infection tries to rub his/her eyes frequently.
If your baby has fever or cold and cough for more than 48 hours, it is important to call your doctor. If you spot blood either in his/her stools or anywhere else, do consult the doctor. If your child is allergic to something, take him/her immediately to the doctor. Make sure to ask plenty of questions, show his/her medical history and have a regular check-up.
Your toddler has already crossed many milestones till now and 15 months is one of them. Make sure to document this journey in pictures and videos.
