Parenting Tips for Your 13-14 Month Old Toddler
Your child is changing the way she eats. With your doctor’s okay, she is old enough to drink cow’s milk, the regular milk at the store. The calcium in milk helps build strong bones and teeth. Remember to give her whole milk, not low fat or skim milk, until she is 2 years old. Her brain needs the extra fats in whole milk to build and protect the brain cells. She might drink 2 or 3 cups of milk every day.
Offer your child water as much as you can. Many children, and adults, don’t drink enough water. Give your child a sippy cup with some plain water when she’s thirsty. Having water around will help her remember to drink more. For safety, make sure that she is sitting down when drinking from the cup.
Try not to give your child too much juice. Juice upsets some children’s stomachs. The sugar in juice and other sweet drinks can add calories to your child’s diet that are not good for her. Give your child whole fruits like apples and oranges instead of juice. Fruits are more nutritious and have more fiber.
Do not give your child sweetened drinks like fruit punch and soft drinks or pop. They have lots of calories and sugar and are not nutritious at all.
If your child is still using a bottle, she may be ready to give it up now. Let her use a sippy cup at meals, and slowly replace the bottle with a cup. Give her lots of praise as she takes this big step! Say, “You’re doing such a good job drinking from the cup!”
If she does still use a bottle at night, be sure to put only water in it. Do not put milk or juice in the bottle for your baby to drink right before falling asleep. This causes cavities, because the sugars stay in your child’s mouth all night.
