What’s going on right now
Your one year old is on the move. Between crawling, cruising along the furniture and maybe even a few wobbly steps, this is the year exploring turns into a full time job. That means your job shifts too, from keeping a mostly stationary baby safe to keeping a curious little explorer safe while still letting them discover things for themselves.
Praise goes a long way at this age. So does a calm, firm “no” when something isn’t safe. You don’t need to yell, and you don’t need to worry that setting limits will make your child feel unloved. Kids this age actually feel safer when they know where the boundaries are. If your child hits or bites, which is common and not a sign of a behavior problem, gently show them how to touch softly instead.
Stranger anxiety and clinginess often show up now too. That’s normal, not a setback. Your child is learning that you always come back, even when you leave the room or hand them off to a sitter for a bit.
Milestones you may see
- Pulling up to stand and cruising along furniture, maybe even a few steps alone
- Playing simple games like peekaboo and pat a cake
- Saying one to three words beyond “mama” and “dada”
- Drinking from a cup instead of a bottle
- Pointing and waving
- Trying to feed themselves and helping a little while getting dressed
Feeding and sleep
Growth slows down after the first year, so don’t be surprised if your child’s appetite drops. That’s normal, not a sign anything is wrong. Let your child decide how much to eat rather than pushing “just one more bite,” and skip foods that can cause choking, like whole grapes, popcorn, hot dogs and hard candy.
Most one year olds are ready to drop the bottle for good and move to whole milk if they’re not breastfeeding. Toddlers this age typically need around 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day including naps, and many are down to one or two naps.
Keeping your child safe
Childproofing matters more than ever now that your one year old can get into almost anything. Get down on the floor at their eye level to see what they can reach, lock up cleaning supplies and medications, and cover outlets. Keep an eye on any water, even a few inches in a bucket or tub is a real drowning risk.
For the car seat, keep your child rear facing for as long as the seat allows by height and weight, which for most convertible seats is well past their first birthday. Current guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics is to stay rear facing at least until age two, and longer if the seat has room to grow. Always ride in the back seat.