Month Twelve

Babies First Year: Month Twelve

How Baby Is Changing

Your child is probably spending a lot of time mastering walking. She may be extra-clingy now. Try to give her the extra attention she needs. This will help her become more independent soon. The desire to walk is so strong it may even interfere with eating and sleeping.

It may be hard for your baby to relax and go to sleep. She may rock or bounce in her crib. If the crib moves, take the wheels off. A back rub or a rock in a rocker may help her drift off to sleep.

Have you noticed your baby enjoys doing small errands for you, like bringing you things? She understands more than she is able to say yet.

Your little one may be able to say a few words -- but words stand for whole thoughts. This makes puzzles for you. When baby says "Mama," does it mean: "Where's Mama?" or "I want Mama?" or "Play with me, Mama?"

Baby Wants You To Know

How I Grow

• I may walk, but I still prefer to crawl -- it's faster!
• I also may try to do other things while walking, like wave to you or pick up my favorite blanket.
• I stand by pushing up from a squatting position.
• I climb up and down stairs if I get the chance. I may even be able to climb out of a playpen or crib.
• I use my hands to take lids off jars.
• I hold things in one hand while I do something else with the other hand.
• I use my index finger to point to things.
• I try to dress or undress myself, but I'm not very good at it yet.
• I insist on feeding myself.

How I Talk

• I repeat a few words I know -- it's good practice.
• I babble phrases that sound like short sentences.
• I make up my own words to describe objects or people.

How I Respond

• I trust people I know well.
• I imitate people, even if they are not around.
• I am still afraid of strangers and unfamiliar places.
• I am very definite about my likes and dislikes.

How I Understand

• I remember more because my memory is getting sharper.
• I hunt for a toy and remember where I saw it last.
• I may be able to solve a problem through trial and error.
• I follow simple directions and understand many things you say to me.
• I have favorite people and favorite toys.

How I Feel

• I'm starting to have a sense of humor, and I think some things are funny.
• I still don't like being apart from you. I feel relieved when you return.
• I feel secure and happy eating meals with my family.
• I feel and show love and affection to my favorite people and to my favorite things.

How You Can Help Me Learn

• Dance with me! I love to listen to music.
• Find or make for me some nesting toys to play with.
• Read to me.
• Give me simple commands to follow.
• I like to run little errands for you.
• Share lots of hugs and kisses with me.

Fun Activities

Learning starts early. By the time children enter school, some know a lot more than others. Their families help them learn. Try some of these ideas to help your baby learn.

Floor Freedom
When they were babies, bright children were allowed to explore. They were not kept in cribs or high chairs or swings all day.

Language
Bright children have parents who talk more with them. Their parents explain and expand on things. For example, the child might say "Doggie," and the parent will answer: "Yes. It's a big, brown doggie, and he's wagging his tail."

Outings
Bright children have been taken places -- to the market, the post office, the fair, the park.

Just Enough Help
The parents of bright children give them just enough help so they can do things. For example, the parents might put chairs together so an early walker can hold on while walking. Then, as the child gets better, the parent will move the chairs apart a bit, making it just a little harder. Another example: When the baby has trouble stacking blocks on the rug, the parent might start the stack on a book, for a firmer base that won't fall so easily. The parent provides just enough help, then lets the baby succeed on her own.

Feeding Baby

When your baby is 12 months old, you may switch from breast milk or iron-fortified formula to cow's milk. Whole milk is better than low-fat or skim milk until age 2. Two-year-olds should begin to make the change to drinking low-fat milk, if that's what the rest of the family drinks.

Your baby is probably enjoying a variety of foods, but he still needs 2 to 3 cups of milk each day. Babies over 6 months old should not be drinking more than 4 cups (1 quart) of infant formula or milk each day.

They need to begin getting their nutrients from a mixed diet of solid foods in addition to milk. Yogurt and cheese provide nearly the same nutrients as milk. So these are OK for part of the milk a child needs each day.

By this time, your baby should have developed a liking for many different foods. In addition to milk, yogurt and cheese, make sure you give him foods from each of these food groups every day. Breads, cereal, rice and pasta; vegetables; fruits; and meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and eggs. Do not give whole nuts that could cause choking

Babies are born with a natural liking for sweet foods. A sweet treat is OK once in a while. But be careful not to let sugary foods take over his diet. Build healthy eating habits.

Your baby doesn't have to eat something from each food group at every meal. Most babies have fairly wild eating patterns at a given meal. They may eat nothing but beans at one meal, and nothing but bananas at the next! But they do pretty well over time if you offer them a variety of nutritious foods at each meal. We recommend not forcing a child to eat specific amounts, or certain foods. In fact, when children are required to eat certain foods, they learn to dislike them.

Here are two things that work best in building good eating habits for children:

• Set a good example by serving and eating a variety of nutritious foods.
• Give children positive attention when they eat the way you'd like them to.