It seems hard to believe that your tiny bundle of joy is turning one – where did the time go? Other than the major birthday coming up, your little one is also growing in confidence and curiosity.
Understanding and responding
By now your baby should be able to understand a few simple phrases and instructions such as ‘pass me the ball’ or ‘no’. However, just because they understand, doesn’t always mean they’ll do what you ask. Don’t give up though – the more they hear you talk, the more they’ll want to start joining in the conversation.
Book worm
Reading with your baby is one of life’s simple pleasures. At this age they’ll love bright colorful books with lots of textures and flaps which are perfect for little hands to explore. Reading before bed is important as it helps cement a good bedtime routine and keeping a favorite book in your changing bag can be useful when you’re out and about and need a distraction.
Imagination
Play is becoming increasingly important as your little one’s imagination develops. Role play toys can provide hours of fun like a pretend kitchen, shopping trolley or tool kit – they’ll love to mimic things they’ve seen you do. A pretend mobile phone is usually a winner – just watch as they ‘chat’ away on it. Sensory play is also great at this age and can be as simple as filling a bucket with soapy water and hiding some objects for them to find. They’ll love getting wet and bubbly – just make sure you have a towel on standby for when they discover pouring the whole bucket onto the floor is much more fun…
Up… and then down
Crawling or taking their first few steps – whichever way your little one is getting around is fine at this age. Encourage them to pull up to standing by putting a toy on the sofa that they’ll have to stand up to reach. Make sure you keep an eye on them though as they’ll still be quite wobbly on their feet and are likely to hit the deck after a few seconds.
How are you feeling?
As your baby approaches their first birthday it can be quite emotional for you as you reflect on how much they’ve changed over the past year. You might also be starting to think about another baby and how that might affect your family unit. However you’re feeling, make sure you take some time to pause for a moment and pat yourself on the back for making it through a roller coaster year.
Shop The Range of Baby & Toddler Products
