The baby of 1 year and 7 months

Going up, down, crouching, walking, running, pointing, yes, your baby already does all this alone and probably only when he sleeps. Autonomy is fully present, even though he must ask for his help in places he cannot reach, but not before trying to drag a chair over there.

The daily routine becomes more difficult. He doesn’t want to stop for a long time to eat or sleep. Bathing is fun, putting on clothes, not so much. Some babies are calmer, others more restless. What they have in common is that everyone wants to constantly explore.

At the same time that motor coordination improves, the understanding of words and actions is happening. He understands what you and others say, even though he doesn’t always want to accept “no”.

Interacting with your baby is also more fun and challenging. He responds to stimuli, picks up and returns the ball, laughs, speaks more than 50 words, dances, sings, realizes changes, among other actions.

The important thing is to always remember that each baby’s development rate is unique. Don’t be comparing your baby or forcing him to do the same thing that you saw another do. If in doubt, talk to your pediatrician.

Keep creating opportunities for him to develop, without pushing beyond his limits. It is more enjoyable for him to learn while playing, gradually and at a unique pace. Learn more about stimuli, games, novelties in food and sleep. Keep reading.

 

Stimuli and Games

Conversation remains one of the best stimuli for your baby. In addition to improving communication between you, he will absorb new words for the vocabulary and try to speak many of them, even in his own way. Keep talking to him normally, avoid talking like him.

Reading stories is very interesting. This time, he should interact more, reproducing the sound of the characters, such as the dinosaur’s growl or the cat’s meow. Let him finish a few sentences or point to a part of the book and ask what it is.

They love to feel useful. Ask him to help you with something, like wiping the chair after meals or putting toys in the closet. If you want something more fun, on hot days, wash your car with it or the yard.

As much as he likes toys, his imagination is more acute, so he will have a lot of fun with a bottle cap pretending to be an airplane, maybe. Play with him in this imaginary world, improvise, a laundry basket can be a spaceship. Milk cans, they saw a castle or a tower.

 

Food

The use of cutlery becomes more precise, now that coordination improves. If you haven’t already given your baby a spoon in his hand to try to get the food on his own, you can start.

Give preference to those made for babies, who have less risk of accidents, but there is no need to be with that crooked handle. There are tough plastic options that are easy to hold.

If this substitution has not yet been made, the use of the cup instead of the bottle may already happen. At first, that cup with handle and spout is the most suitable even to avoid minor accidents with the content. Make the switch to the regular glass gradually.

But remember not to give fluids, especially sweetened ones, during meals. This is because the ingestion gives the false feeling of satisfaction and makes the baby not eat enough, getting hungry faster or lacking food.

Perhaps it is time for him to sit at the table or use an adapted armchair, which fits the table, for him to participate in the meal together with the other people present in the house.

 

Sleep

The number of hours of sleep recommended now decreases to 13 hours a day, with 11 hours of night sleep and a 2-hour, 2.5-hour nap. Some babies like to split this nap in two, others no longer want to do it.

With the pre-established routine, the baby gets used to the nap time and knows that he should sleep at that moment. Naps, even in smaller numbers, are still important so that the baby is not too tired and struggles with sleep at night.

During the night, the sleep routine remains the same, with relaxing activities that induce the baby to sleep. Bathing, massage, dim lights, calmer music, lying in the cradle still sleepy.

If you have trouble getting your baby to sleep the recommended amount of hours of sleep, especially at night, check out the Baby Sleeper course, which has helped thousands of mothers.