Wow, can you believe that your baby has grown a year.  I know I was always surprised when that first birthday rolled around for both of my kids.  I felt like I had missed out on something, that maybe I hadn’t cuddled enough or really enjoyed those quiet moments that are so normal for infants.  I was excited about that first birthday but I knew soon enough, my baby would be a toddler, doing all the toddler activities. 

At a year old, your baby has already accomplished so much in his or her short life.  He should have tripled his body weight, at least, with some kids gaining more and he should be well on his way to eating solids.  The last year has brought many firsts but don’t worry, your baby will have many more firsts to come.  Developmentally, your baby should be able to crawl, and should be pulling himself up with the help of furniture.  Some children are even walking at the age of a year but remember that the range of normalcy for walking is between 11 to 18 months of age.  Some children walk at a much later age and it can be perfectly normal for them, however; please talk to your child’s pediatrician if you are concerned with their development.

A few other skills that your baby should have built on by the age of one are the following:

• Shows emotions
• Is able to hold a sippy cup or a bottle on his or her own.
• Will play games with people.  Things like repeating sounds, peek a boo, etc.
• Your baby should understand simple requests like, “Touch your nose. Don’t touch, ect.”
• Should be able to move into a sitting position without any assistance.

There are many developmental checklists available for parents, but the one that I found the most helpful is the Nipissing District Developmental Screen.  I have used the checklists as both an Early Childhood Educator, assessing the developmental strengths of children in my class and also as a parent.  Each checklist has some wonderful tips on how to encourage your child’s development.  I would strongly suggest ordering the series of checklists that they have.  If you are from Ontario (I’m not sure how it works in other provinces or countries), you should receive them after you have had your baby, but if you didn’t receive them I’m sure that you can order them right from Nipissing.  Here is a sample checklist and the homepage for Nipissing. 

 With that, I want to sign off today with a video of babies doing what they do best, being there cute little selves.  Enjoy

Sirena Van Schaik

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Tags: 12 months, child development, Early Childhood Education, Infant Development, Milestones, Nipissing

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