14 Months Old Baby Growth and Development

Time flies when your baby is still young. She is growing up and is going to be hard to keep up with as she is going to want to always be on the go, whether it’s by crawling, cruising or walking. It’s a big new world for her, and it is filled with exciting new things to learn about; she is going to want to explore and test out her newly acquired motor skills.

While she may be a master of saying “bye-bye” with an accompanying wave, and she is even able to properly distinguish between and say “mama” and “dada”, she is bound to understand a lot more than she is able to say.

14 Month Old Toddler Development

With each day your child walks, her confidence grows. She is going to be able to start and stop walking more smoothly and will be able to even lift herself into a standing position with more grace. Toddlers have a great fondness for manipulating objects. You may find her moving things around a lot, tirelessly moving whatever she can from one place to the other.

There is a lot that is developing in your baby at this age. She is undergoing a lot of physical growth and developing her motor skills, which is what keeps prompting her to keep trying to do new things. At this age in toddlerhood, there is a lot of social, emotional, mental and communicative development that is taking place as well.

Here are a few 14-month baby development milestones that your baby should be reaching at approximately this age:

1. Physical Development

• While each individual baby grows different physically, there is an average 14 months baby weight. The average weight your boy should be at this age is ten kilograms, and your girl should weigh around nine and a half kilograms. The average height for boys and girls of this age are 78cm and 76cm respectively.
• She is going to develop her gross motor skills through activities such as walking, trying to climb stairs (under your watchful eye, of course), and pretty much moving around independently.
• Fine motor skills will also be put to use regularly as she goes about picking up objects and manipulating them with her little fingers. She is probably going to try and get into everything, including cabinets and drawers, so make sure your home is baby proofed.

2. Social And Emotional Development

• She is more likely to be drawn to others her own age and will show excitement when she sees them, though she is not yet ready to actually interact with them.
• Your child will learn how her actions cause certain reactions and she will now need to learn how to self-monitor her behaviour.
• A bit more emotional depth and the range of emotions in your baby will grow as she interacts more with you and those around her.

3. Cognitive And Language Development

• There is a lot of improvement in this area as she will be able to mimic yours and your partner’s body language and will try to repeat as many words as she can. Your toddler will follow your every move with all her attention as she wants to learn as much as she can so be mindful of what you do and say in front of her.
• Exploration is another way in which your little one will develop her cognitive skills. Most mothers find themselves chasing their kids all over the house as the little adventurers can’t get enough.
• Communication for your toddler is limited to a few words and actions; she is still learning. So you are going to have to use your sensory skills to really understand what she is trying to tell you. For example, she will probably bring you her book if she wants you to read to her. Some children enjoy looking at pictures and identifying everything they know.

Behaviour

Get ready to hear the word “no” fly out of your toddler’s mouth a lot at this age. Being able to communicate her wants with so few words and gestures can be frustrating sometimes and toddlers often use negative behaviour as a way of communication. They like to test out their newfound independence, and you may want to think about setting some limits for your baby. You and your partner need to be in agreement on this.

Your baby may suddenly become very stubborn and demand about what she wants to do. She may want to do things such as put on her own shoes or pour herself some juice even when she is not yet capable of such things. While it may sometimes feel as if your baby has become very defiant, keep in mind that she is simply doing all she can to learn about the world and how to interact with it.

Children of this age are not really capable of understanding that others have feelings. If your child hits her playmate and her playmate screams in response, your baby may pause and observe this reaction, but she will not realise that she is causing pain. In this situation, you will need to go to your child and firmly tell her that hitting hurts and if she is still unable to control herself, remove her from the situation. Toddlers also often act out in frustration.

Food And Nutrition

At this age, your baby will eat less compared to what she has been all this time. A toddler’s growth is slowing down, and this is why they do not seem to need as much food as babies do. This can sometimes make it really hard to ensure that they are getting all the right nutrients. Here is a 14-month-old baby food chart you can use to refer to in order to make sure you are giving your baby all she needs to grow and develop the right way:

• Dairy:

  One of the most important foods to include in your child’s diet at this age as it is a rich source of calcium and vitamin D, both of which play an important role in the development of strong bones and teeth in your baby.

• Meat And Beans:

  14-month-olds need a lot of energy to play and explore and so having a protein-rich diet is the way to go. Meat and beans are two healthy sources of protein. Eggs are also counted here, and a simple dish of scrambled eggs can be a fun meal for your baby.

• Grains:

  It is preferable to feed your child whole grains instead of refined grains as they are richer in fibre and lower in sugar.

• Fruits And Vegetables:

  One cup of fruits and one cup of vegetables a day keeps the doctor away as they are the most nutritious foods to serve your baby. They provide your child with most of the minerals and vitamins she will need in order to develop properly.

Sleeping

Your toddler will spend at least 13 to 14 hours per day sleeping. At night time they sleep for around 11 hours, while the rest is spent as naps during the day. Not every toddler is the same, however, and some like to sleep more than others. If your baby seems to like to stay up later in the night, try a relaxing nighttime routine in order to help soothe her to sleep. A warm bath and her favourite book after will help her fall into a more comfortable sleep.

Sometimes, allowing your baby to nap too much during the day will prevent her from sleeping properly at night, so always ensure to keep her active and busy during the day to make sure she is completely knackered when it is time for bed.

Play And Activities

Some fun ways in which your toddler will be able to learn to include playing with blocks, toy vehicles, allowing her to experiment with crayons on paper and many more activities.

Reading together is another fun way to encourage learning while you spend time together. Opt for books with brightly coloured pictures so your baby can enjoy the book too. Make sure your baby sees you read as encouraging good reading habits from a young age can be very useful for her in her later life. It will also help her to build her language and communication skills.lea

Tips For Parents

Here are some tips to help you raise a happy and healthy child:

• While it is not advisable to keep your toddler too sheltered, you need to be sure to keep an eye on her as she goes about exploring the house or garden as there can be many dangerous things that could cause some serious problems for your baby. Never let her wander off unattended.
• Colds are quite common and can pose a problem for your little one. The solution to this is very simple, requiring some tender, loving care on your part. If in case your toddler begins to urinate less than usual, has no appetite or shows a worsening of her cough, it is best to see her doctor as soon as possible.
• Brush her teeth in the morning and evening using a toothbrush made for babies.

• Even though your baby may seem taller, do not move her to a bed, but keep her in a crib as this will help to keep active children from getting into too much trouble.
• Baby-proof your home and anything that could be dangerous to your child out of her reach.

Consult A Doctor If

If your baby does not exhibit signs of understanding what is going on in her environment, she may have a problem. While not every baby reaches their milestones at the same time, a 14-year-old baby who shows no interest in exploring her surroundings and trying to speak and communicate, then there is a problem. You will want to see your doctor.

As your baby can move around by herself, she feels more like she is actively participating in the goings on in her environment, whereas before she was simply an observer. It is not going to be easy for you, running after your baby and trying to teach her how to interact with the world, but it will be well worth it. Always remember to be mindful of the words you use around her and never do anything a baby should not see and learn.