The baby of 1 year and 10 months

One hour your baby is calm and full of affection to give. In another, he seems to want to drive everyone in the house crazy, especially you, agitated and demanding. He continues to develop the emotional side and independence.

You know what you want, you insist on it, but you get very frustrated when you can’t. Now that it is just a few months away from the phase considered as the baby’s adolescence or the infamous “terrible two”, the tantrums continue with a little more drama.

It is important that you understand the frustrations and teach him how to get through them, praising him when he tries and giving the same attention with which he celebrates his achievements. He really cares about those results. He is very happy when he succeeds and angry if the opposite happens.

The social side is also developing, so he interacts and wants to play with other children. Some have more difficulty with these relationships. So don’t be surprised if it varies between being on your lap and then wanting to run around.

 

Stimuli and Games

A suggestion is to play with clay. There are many toys that stimulate motor skills. If you don’t have one, improvise with plastic knives, pot or bottle caps, glasses, use your creativity, as long as it’s safe for him.

Take a break and play with it. Teach how to make clay balls and flatten or fun giant worms. In addition to this interaction, you will even relax your mind, while creating shapes with your hands and having a good laugh with your baby.

Building blocks are still used a lot. Perhaps it is interesting to present something a little more complex, with inserts, more colors and information. Train the baby’s memory, pointing to the pieces and asking for colors and designs.

It is too early to teach reading, but you can stimulate the knowledge of the letters of the alphabet with colored letters of EVA or other material. Show each one and say the name. The baby associates as a new game and becomes more familiar. This works for numbers as well.

 

Food

The variety of foods is important for the baby to continue growing strong and healthy. If he is still breastfeeding, you can keep breastfeeding until 2 years old or a little longer, but include other foods during breastfeeding times.

Breast milk has many benefits. Weaning is a matter that concerns you only and should be done at the time you feel most appropriate.

 

For babies who take formula, it is best to serve the bottle along with the breakfast table, as a complement to other foods. Avoid putting sugar or supplements in the bottle or glass, prefer to accustom the baby to a healthy diet.

Schedule a food routine throughout the day and prioritize natural foods, made at home, seasoned with natural spices, taking care with the use of salt, which can overload the kidneys.

Snacks between meals can include fruits, breads, sugar-free cakes and cereals. There are many recipes for practical, nutrient-rich snacks that ensure your baby eats the foods he avoids, such as breads made with beets, for example.

As tempting and practical as it may be, try not to include industrialized foods such as snacks and sweet cookies, soft drinks, candies and lollipops. Some types of yogurt can be given, but only in extreme cases, when you are not at home.

 

Sleep

Sleeping is as important for your baby’s development as eating and playing. It is during the night that he absorbs all the learning he had during the day and releases growth hormones.

The lack of total hours of sleep can increase the baby’s predisposition to type 2 diabetes, reduce the action of the immune system, hinder growth and favor obesity.

Following the same concept, daytime naps are of equal importance to the baby. In the first few months, he takes several naps. This amount decreases as time goes by and until he is 2 years old, he should make one or two naps shorter.

But be careful that the nap does not occur very close to bedtime or extends for a long time or this can affect the night period, which needs to be from 10:30 am to 11 am.

Have a sleep routine for both occasions, with calmer activities, such as a bath or a foot massage. It is essential that your baby understands what should happen.

At this stage, it is likely that some will show resistance to stop activities, but be constant with the routine. If you need help getting your baby to sleep at night for 11 hours, without breaks, talk to us and learn more about the Baby Sleeper course.