Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
When your baby turns 1 and enters the toddler stage, there’s so much growth and development to look forward to. From their growing body and mind, to their blooming personality, a lot of changes and milestones are on the horizon!
But as with any stage of childhood, there are some things you wish you could prepare for. That’s why our child development experts (many of them parents themselves) have created this list of 5 things to know as your child turns 12 months old. It’s not a crystal ball, but it will give you a glimpse into the toddler years to come!
1. You should see lots of language growth
As your baby reaches their first birthday, you’re likely going to be surprised by their communication skills–which include a lot more than first words.
Your 1-year-old will probably begin interacting and initiating more play activities with you. Purposeful games like playing peek-a-boo, building towers, or completing puzzles will become part of their daily playtime. And they’ll probably gesture or use sounds and words to let you know they want you to play, too!
It may surprise you how much your 1-year-old understands what you say to them. This is proof of their growing receptive language abilities. You’re likely to start seeing your 1-year-old follow simple directions, hand you items you ask for, and understand phrases like “It’s time to go” or “Give it back, please.”
It may surprise you how much your 1-year-old understands what you say to them. This is proof of their growing receptive language abilities.
You’ll know your child understands these things because of their response, even if they aren’t talking yet. Sometimes their response may be one of protest. So if you say it’s time to go, and they start throwing a good old-fashioned tantrum, it’s clear they understood what you meant. Their reaction may not be ideal, but at least you know their receptive language skills are developing!
You’re bound to see your toddler’s expressive language grow, too. Children usually say their first word at around 12 months. They’ll be making lots of environmental sounds, like animal noises and the sounds of cars and trucks. You’ll also hear lots of new consonants and vowels. When these skills start emerging, this is typically when communication really takes off. It’s almost like babies and toddlers start to realize they have a voice, and they can use it to interact with others and get things they need.
2. Simple language is best when communicating with your 1-year-old
You might think that you should use big words or long sentences to expose your child to more language. But even though your toddler’s communication skills are growing, it’s still helpful to simplify your words when you talk to them.
Let’s take our example of telling your child it’s time to go. Have you ever tried to explain why you have to go during the middle of a meltdown? You might be tempted to say, “It’s time to go! We need to get home and start dinner. Don’t cry, it’ll be OK! Let’s go home and then later we can play. Do you want your teddy bear? We can get your teddy bear and read a book!” It’s not wrong to say all of this. In fact, it provides helpful language modeling for your child. However, if you really want to communicate with your toddler, it’s better to use simpler, more direct language. Now, we can’t promise this will magically end a toddler tantrum. But your child may understand you more easily. Try it like this:
“Time to go.” (Pause and respond to your child as needed.)
“Let’s go to the car.” (Pause because your little one is crying; give them a hug.)
“I know you're sad.” (Pause and respond to anything your child says.)
“We'll play later!”
Here’s another example of how to communicate with your 1-year-old. Let’s say your toddler is throwing food off their high chair. You say, “No throw,” with a head shake. They do it again. So you say, “No throw,” again with a head shake, and this time you remove the food from their hand. They may get mad, but you can say, “Food on the plate,” or “More bites?”
Notice how simple these phrases are. There are fewer words for your child to try to understand, so they can focus on what you want them to know–which is to stop throwing food!
3. Your toddler will become more independent
Along with your child’s language growth comes growth in their independence. Ever notice how your baby wants to do everything themselves? Do they get upset when you try to intervene? This is actually a good thing! They’re learning to attempt things themselves.
If your 1-year-old is trying to do a new task that’s safe for them, such as putting toys away or getting a snack, let them try. Or, maybe they want to put on their shoes or “clean” the floors with a towel. Go ahead and let them!
Not only does this help foster independence, it also creates great opportunities to talk and interact. This can further promote communication development.
Of course, if your child is trying to do something that isn’t safe or reasonable, tell them “no” and help as needed. Be prepared for some pushback. It’s normal, especially at this stage. You can try to provide similar tasks that they can do themselves–say, pouring crackers into a bowl, rather than cutting grapes in half. Finding ways to promote your toddler’s independence will make everyone happy!
4. You may need to change how you entertain your toddler
With how quickly kids grow, the games and activities that once made them giggle may soon bore them. Maybe you don’t get the same reaction or engagement from them you once did. And now you may have a fussy 1-year-old on your hands who needs to be entertained in new ways.
So what can you do with your 1-year-old? Toddler boredom is no joke, and it may feel challenging to come up with new ways to keep them content. This is normal! The key is to adapt to what your child is interested in or curious about, and look for toys and activities related to that. This article offers lots of fun activities to try with your 12-month-old.
5. Keep an eye on milestones, but don’t over stress
As parents and caregivers, we want to make sure our kids are growing and learning what they should, when they should. With so much information out there, it’s easy to play the comparison game, but try not to do it.
Expressable speech therapist (and parent) Christi Broton, M.S., CCC-SLP, has some helpful insight on this. She says, “Don’t believe everything you see on those fancy social media reels! Children at this age progress at rapidly different rates based on their experiences and interests. Your child may be more reluctant to talk, but they’re a star at climbing the equipment at the park. They may fight for independence, but then dazzle you with wanting to potty train early.”
Every child is different, and they may make progress with different skills at different times. However, there is a general timeline of milestones to monitor. Christi adds, “Do talk with your pediatrician regarding any concerns with development. If your child needs speech therapy, early intervention significantly shortens the length of total time of therapy!”
Every child is different in how they make progress. However, there is a general timeline of milestones to monitor.
It never hurts to share your observations or concerns with your pediatrician, whether it’s related to speech and language, physical development, or fine-motor skills. There are many therapies available to give kids the support they need to catch up. The earlier you start therapy, the better.
You’ve probably already learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to parenting. There’s no way to fully prepare for each stage of your child’s development, but we hope these 5 tips will be helpful as you enter the toddler years. As much as you can, try to go with the flow and enjoy this time. Every stage has something memorable about it!
