Parenting Tips for Your 13-14 Month Old Toddler
Children love to play with their parents and other caring adults. Play with them in ways that don’t take away their pleasure or their chances to learn. Here are some simple rules of play for you:
- Watch your child and observe his interests and his skill levels. You are learning about how he plays.
- Join in and play at your child’s level, letting him lead. If you try to teach too much too fast, your child might get upset.
- Ask your child to tell you about what he’s doing, and say something good about it.
- After playing the same games many times, you might show him something harder to play. For example, if your child can put together a two-piece puzzle, try one with three pieces. If your child likes building with blocks, you might show him how to combine block play with toy animals.
- Every now and then, stop playing yourself and just watch your child play. Watch how he explores his new activity. After your child learns to do something new by himself, you can join in and suggest another new activity.
- Remember, your child’s attention span is very short. When he decides to stop playing, let him.
Learn more about Your Toddler: 13-14 Months from Just In Time Parenting. You can also go to our Resource Links for additional information on child care and development.
