Baby at 15-18 months

At this stage, a child’s development depends directly on how much time you give him. It is necessary to engage with him, be patient and attentive, note his every success and reward him. This stimulation has a positive effect on the child’s development emotionally, mentally and physically.

Daily routine

It can not be said that there are certain rules according to which the child’s feeding should be conducted. Usually, he begins to eat 4 times during the day. Daytime sleep is already only one, but there are children who continue to sleep twice. Despite the difficulties you may experience when trying to put the child to sleep, it is desirable to show will and perseverance. Sleep is important for the child.

In a few words – during the second trimester of the second year, it is good for the child to sleep once during daylight hours, and night sleep should be 10-11 hours long. If you find it difficult to determine what the daily routine should be, you can use this schedule as a guide:

• 7:00-8:00 – getting up and hygiene procedures
• 8:00-9:30 – breakfast
• 9:30-10:30 – games
• 10:30-12:30 – walks in the fresh air
• 12:30-15:00 – lunch and afternoon nap
• 15:00-15:30 – wake-up time, it is advisable to create conditions in which the child only wakes up and not force him to get up at a specific time
• 15.30-16.30 – afternoon snack
• 16:30-19:00 – walks in the fresh air and games
• 19:00-19:30 – bathing and water games
• 19:30-20:30 – book reading, relaxed developmental games
• 20:30-21:00 – preparation for sleep
• 21:00-7:00 – night sleep

In summer, as it gets darker, you can put your child to bed later in the evening, and earlier in the winter respectively. It is not necessary to stick to a strict regime.

Habit development

At this age, the child hardly falls and walks steadily. During a walk, he holds toys in his hands and tries to always carry something in his arms. It is particularly interesting for children at this stage to go up and down stairs – this exercise is welcome as it develops the vestibular apparatus. Even if the child is climbing the stairs in front of the playground for the tenth time, do not discourage him from continuing. What you can do is ensure his safety during the descent.

In this line of thought, it is perfectly normal for a child to love climbing on the chairs and couches at home. You can install a Swedish wall at home. This way, he will do physical exercises with pleasure anytime and you will have free time for yourself. The child already understands the meaning of longer phrases and begins to name things by their names. So “bi-bit” is “car” and “meow” is “cat”. At this age, children begin to answer simple questions and try to repeat uncomplicated sentences. It is also noticeable that the child indicates his actions with barely a word or two.

Norms for height and weight

At the end of the first half of the second year, girls weigh about 11-12 kg and are 80 cm tall, and boys slightly exceed these indicators. Of course, these are approximate measures. Variations from them are perfectly permissible.

Playtime

Now the child’s attention is strongly attracted by soft toys. They literally become his best friends and allies. He plays with them, but also falls asleep with them. There is no need to resist this behaviour. Make sure that the soft toys are clean and ideally hypoallergenic inside.

At this age, children are actively into role play. They use the rabbits in all sorts of situations – as passengers in an improvised train, invite them to dinner, play with them at the store. With their help, they model situations from the lives of adults, and so day after day they get to know the world around them more and more.

Therefore, if you notice that the child even punishes his toys, do not be alarmed. He educates his toys in the same way that you educate him.

By the way the child plays, you can judge your own mistakes, and also successes.

Tips

You should know that the child will learn to talk with your help. You are extremely important in enriching his vocabulary. Try to avoid swearing and rudeness during conversation. Communicate more often with your child. Do not be discouraged, for a long time the conversation will be one-sided, but this will change as long as you make an effort daily.

In the second trimester of the second year, the child not only feels the intonation in your speech. It already understands the meaning of what is being said. Therefore, be careful and pronounce the words well. This way you will not have to use the services of a speech therapist.

We advise you to repeat the names of objects and actions several times a day clearly and understandably. Point them out by hand to be as helpful as possible to your child. Your patience and attention will pay off. Your child will speak earlier than his or her peers.

There are plenty of topics to talk about – pay attention to the things your child is curious and interested in. Use books with large and bright pictures – they will help him better understand the meaning of the story. From these pictures he will soon begin to create stories himself, describing each action.

Have plenty of books at home. Let the stories in them be simple, short, even in verse form. It is this type of reading that will become a child’s favourite. You will have to read them several times a day. There is nothing wrong with that.

At this stage of the child’s development, encourage his desire and attempts to talk. If he has brought you a toy, ask him if he wants to play with it. Even if the child’s answer is vague, continue to talk to him. To stimulate speech development, ask your child questions. Interrogate him about his feelings, desires, interests. Pretty soon your efforts yield results.

Early childhood is the best time in which to accustom the child to the basic rules of behavior. This happens in the course of games. Children imitate and gladly use a fork and a knife. If you observe the etiquette they will too. Be polite and considerate, then you won’t have to get into confrontational situations in public.