Our son’s first birthday becomes an important milestone for everyone. In fact, the moment he blows out his first candle we go from referring to him as a baby and he becomes a child. It is gaining autonomy.
And, although in reality there are not many differences compared to 11 months in terms of sleep and food , it is true that one-year-old children experience important advances in their development.
One-year-old feeding
At 12 months, the child is coordinating his movements very well and at the end of the first year he will end up being very skillful when it comes to picking up food and testing cutlery.
Throughout the year their teeth will be completed up to the first molars, so they are already able to bite and chew better and better.
The time has come to sit down at the table with the grown- ups and let them share the same menu as us. Meat, fish, cereals, legumes… are already part of the child’s diet.
From 12 months you can already ingest honey (before 12 months it is not recommended due to the risk of food poisoning by botulism, and those vegetables that accumulate more nitrates such as chard, beets, turnip and spinach.
You can also start drinking cow’s milk. Before it is prohibited due to the excess of proteins and minerals that it contains and that can be harmful to a baby’s kidneys.
Breast milk has about 1 gr. of protein per 100 ml. (slightly more formula), while cow’s milk has 3.3 gr. per 100 ml.
Whether the child continues to feed with breast milk or if he takes dairy products (cow’s milk, yoghurts, fresh cheese) it is recommended that he ingest 500-600 ml of milk a day to cover the 800 mg of calcium that he needs for his correct growth.
We will still have to wait to offer you larger fish, such as swordfish or emperor, dogfish, blue shark and tuna, due to their mercury content.
In addition, because of the presence of cadmium, children should avoid the regular consumption of shrimp heads, prawns and Norway lobster or the carcass of crab-like crustaceans.
We must remember that sharing meals with the child is not only helping him eat but also talking to him, talking to us in his own way, and making that moment a pleasant family gathering. Remember that the example of adults, also when it comes to food, is essential.
Sleep at eleven months of age
Children from one to two years old have an established more or less stable sleep pattern. Some take a nap in the morning and another in the afternoon, and the nighttime hours of sleep lengthen, although it may be common for them to continue waking up during the night. In total, they sleep about 12-13 hours, but not at once, but distributed at those different times of the day.
Children may cry during this stage, before going to sleep or upon waking. It is normal and responds to an anxiety process that many babies go through at this age. Since the child feels insecure if his parents are not close, he expresses it that way. Accompanying them in these moments will help them fall asleep.
Development of the one-year-old
By the time the child reaches one year, he has grown about 50% of what he weighed at birth, a milestone that will not be repeated in subsequent years. The second year of the child is also marked by a rapid increase in size, but much less than the first year.
The child can solve simple problems, and will seek help when he knows that he still cannot perform certain activities (reaching or starting a toy…).
Children begin to walk at this stage if they have not done so before. From the year on, she makes very rapid progress towards physical autonomy.
The first steps are carried out with open arms to better balance. Care must be taken so that in this phase there is no serious fall that hurts the child.
His new skills also allow him to cleverly use his hands and move unaided to increase his field of exploration. Therefore, it is convenient to have a safe environment in which they move (if we did not have it yet with the crawling) with the minimum possible danger.
Sociability of the one-year-old
From the year on, the child is expanding his vocabulary rapidly. At first, with few words he is able to say many things, little by little the number of words used and the sentences will increase. Around two years of age, he can make simple combinations of words: “Mama come”, “Bread yes”, “Handsome boy”…
Shows that you understand many words even though you cannot say them. You can now follow simple commands and answer our questions if we ask you to point to objects or animals in a book …
Expressive language and the ability to pronounce words are also developing. Baby makes conversational sounds and follows the rhythm of your voice. We can repeat the new words to him because the child will try to imitate us and over time, his speech will be clearer and easier to understand.
The one year old needs our continued approval. Faced with his little “achievements” , he will look at us to see if we applaud, cheer him on or disapprove. The more we accompany him in his development, the more he will be encouraged to continue learning. The more we talk to him, the more he will develop linguistically.
They love to play and imitate, either with children their age or with adults. They learn through play, so we must not miss this opportunity to accompany and encourage them in their games.
But not everything will pleasantly surprise us. Many children show quite a strong personality at this stage with tantrums. The baby will try some independence when moving from one place to another and moving more, he knows what his wishes are, but not his limits.
His confidence and independence will collide with what he cannot do or achieve and therefore he will react angrily to his own limitations or those imposed by his parents.
And more if we take into account that they have not yet developed the language sufficiently to express everything they want to say.
Understanding why they have gotten angry, talking to them and explaining the situation will make future situations that they don’t like resolve in the same way: talking.
So if your son is turning one year old or about to turn it, congratulations. A year of discoveries and mutual enjoyment awaits you. Getting bored or relaxing is impossible after 12 months of life.