What’s Ahead?

By the end of the first year, your baby has developed his own personality. Your baby is a full-fledged member of your family. It’s hard to imagine what life was like without him! In the months ahead look forward to your child doing the following:

• Sleeping about 12 hours at night, and getting up early in the morning
• Needing a longer nap on some days
• Usually wanting attention when waking up
• Having a varied appetite, especially while teething; after 12 months, children grow more slowly and eat a little less
• Having a language “explosion”; a 12-month-old may speak two or three words while a 2-year-old may know 200 to 300 words
• Exploring and playing with genitals or private area; this is normal curiosity
• Starting to show independence without really knowing what he wants; you may hear no and “Me do it” a lot
• One or two words will stand for many things. “Mommy” may mean, “Where’s Mommy?” or “Mommy, play with me” or something else entirely. It’s up to you to figure out what he means, so be patient and understand this will pass as he learns how to communicate with you.

Want to Learn More about Child Care and Development?

Check out this Web site: Zero to Three for Parents on development in the first three years of life.

If you have questions, contact your local Extension office. Find the nearest office at: CSREES State & National Partners.

When reading this newsletter, remember: Every baby is different. Children may do things earlier or later than described here. This newsletter gives equal space and time to both sexes. If we write he or she, we are talking about all babies.

Credits: This newsletter was adapted from Extension Just In Time Parenting Newsletters in California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.