12 months

Physical development

• By 12 months, she’s crawling confidently
• She also pulling herself to a standing position and may be able to walk holding onto furniture or your hand – or even unassisted
• She points to what she wants and can pick up a small object with her thumb and index finger
• Now is the time to baby-proof your home if you haven’t already done so!
• She can get to a sitting position from her stomach
• At 12 months, she can hold different objects in each hand
• She’ll offer you a toy
• By 12 months, she should have regular sleep times and patterns

Feeding needs

• If there’s a history of food allergies in your family, stay away from wheat, dairy, nuts, eggs, seafood and other potential allergens till at least 12 months
• At 12 months, your baby can eat just about anything that the rest of the family eats (as long as there’s no history of allergens)
• Continue to be careful when your toddler eats and beware of her choking
• Offer water or diluted juice and give it in a cup and not a bottle
• She’ll start to have food preferences now and knows what she likes and doesn’t
• Look for fortified cereals, with added vitamins and minerals
• Remember that toddlers are erratic eaters and not likely to eat regular amounts every day

Emotional, social, talking

• At 12 months, she is sociable but wants to be near you
• She’s formed strong attachments to other important caregivers
• She recognises and responds to her name

12 to 18 months

Physical development

• At 15 months she can crawl upstairs

Emotional, social, talking

• She’s babbling tunefully now, using the rhythms of speech
• She shows affection, for example by smiling and hugging
• She imitates you and might be possessive
• She babbles loudly and may use a few words (“Dada” often comes first)
• She listens carefully to you and understands simple instructions
• She drops or throws things to watch them fall
• Separation anxiety peaks between 12 – 14 months and you may have to learn some separation tactics to decrease her stress (every baby is an individual)
• She enjoys picture books and stories and tries to turn pages in a book
• She helps with dressing (for example by raising her arms)
• She may get upset and frustrated if she can’t manage something

18 to 24 months

Physical development

By 18 months

• She can point to her nose, eyes and so on
• She can build a tower of 3 cubes and scribble with a crayon
• She carries large, light objects
• She goes backwards down the stairs
• She can pick up small objects with her thumb and index finger
• She can hold 2 items in one hand
• She’s walking well and may even have started running (though not very steadily!)

By 24 months

• She’s running steadily and can walk backwards
• She’s climbing on and off furniture
• She can throw overhand and kick a ball
• She favours one hand when drawing

Feeding needs

• Avoid processed foods, salt, sugar and fat – and be aware of these ingredients hidden in ready made foods that you may buy, including baby foods
• You child should have at least 3 servings of fruit or vegetables every day until she’s about 24 months old
• Remember that a serving should be child-sized: half a banana, 1 to 2 tablespoons of peas or carrots
• Children have small tummies and may prefer to eat 5 small meals rather than 3 bigger ones
• Continue to offer new foods and if she’s fussy, don’t bargain or argue about food issues

Emotional, social, talking

• At 18 months, she’s using around 20 words but understands a lot more
• She might make 2-word phrases (“Daddy come” or “more juice”)
• She can understand many simple instructions (she might not obey them!)
• By 24 months, the most important relationship in her life is still with you, but she’s showing more interest in interacting with her peers
• She enjoys the company of other children, but plays near them, not actually with them (it’s called “parallel play”)
• She’s growing in independence, but sometimes gets frustrated and you might start seeing tantrums
• At 24 months, she’s using between 50 and 300 words, and forming simple 2 or 3 word sentences

24 to 36 months

Physical development

At 24 months

• Can use a plastic sit-on bike or car and push with her feet
• She can build a tower of 6 blocks and enjoys simple puzzles
• She’s moved on to 1 nap, in the afternoon

At 30 months

• Her birth weight has quadrupled and her brain is 90% of its adult size
• She can walk upstairs, jump, kick a ball and climb a ladder or a simple jungle gym
• She should be out of day time nappies

At 36 months

• She walks upstairs alternating her feet but still goes downstairs putting both feet on each step
• She can wash her own hands and help you when she’s getting dressed and undressed
• She builds a tower of nine or more blocks
• She draws a figure with a head and some features
• She’ll probably start to drop her daytime nap some time this year

Feeding needs

• Continue to offer nutritious food choices. If she’s fussy, concentrate on giving her the healthy snacks that she likes
• Remember to give a balance of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit and dairy
• It might be easier for you to concentrate on making sure your toddler eats well-balanced meals over the space of a week rather than a day
• A growing up milk or vitamin supplement will also help you to set your mind at ease that she’s getting what she needs
• By the age of 36 months, a healthy diet for a child is similar to that of an adult’s: lots of vegetables and fruit, complex carbohydrates, enough lean protein, dairy products, not too much sugar, fat and salt
• By the time she’s 3 years old she can feed herself competently with a spoon or fork – happy mealtimes

Emotional, social, talking

• • She joins in songs and rhymes, asks the names of objects and plays simple make-believe games
  • By 30 months, she’s more outgoing
  • She still sees things from her point of view
  • She uses about 200 words and starts to use “I”, “you” and “me” correctly
  • She asks “what?” and “why?”
  • She knows simple songs, nursery rhymes and games
  • By 36 months, she is playing with other children, not just alongside them
  • She enjoys helping you with chores and starting to understand and feel sorry for a playmate who’s hurt
  • She may know as many as 800 words and can carry on a simple conversation
  • She knows some shapes and colours as well as simple concepts of size, numbers and time