Health Tips
- Babies move surprisingly fast; use gates to block off unsafe places such as stairs or rooms.
- Keep medicines, cleaners, poisons, guns and knives out of reach and locked away.
- Continue to use a car seat and never leave your child alone in a car.
- See your health care provider for well-child exams at 15 months and 18 months. See Parent Resources section to read about Well-Child Exams.
- Help your child develop a dental routine by flossing and brushing your child’s teeth twice a day at the same time each day. Remember to see a dentist every six months.

Nutrition Tips
- Establish regular meal and snack times. This will help your child learn lifelong healthy eating habits.
- Periodic growth spurts often result in a greater demand for food over a short period of time.
- Transition your baby from a bottle to a cup by 12 months.
- Use whole milk until age 2; your child needs the fat content for proper growth.
- Toddlers are at risk for choking, so avoid foods that are hard, round, and do not dissolve easily in the mouth i.e. nuts, popcorn, whole grapes, dried fruit, and raw carrots.

Behavioral Tips
Clear, loving, consistent expectations and routines are necessary as your child begins to navigate the world on his or her own. It can be hard for a child this age to verbalize their emotions so you may see biting and tantrums. When a child is beginning to lose control, consider using an affectionate touch or offering a new choice to help him or her regain composure.

Enjoying your nine to eighteen month old

Many changes occur during this stage. There are enormous leaps in forming words and communicating as toddlers increase their ability to relate to others. Also, expect greater movement and the need to explore everything they are discovering in their world. These older babies are natural problem solvers and may, for example, use sticks to reach another object. Emotionally, at this age, all babies begin to develop a sense of self as they identify their own body parts. Whenever possible, a child at this age can be guided to actively participate in their own care, such as feeding and dressing. At about one year old, your child will begin repetition in activities — they do something over and over (play peek-a-boo, drop a book on the floor, take a shoe off and put it back on). This is how they learn.

Most 9 to 12 month old babies:
- wave “bye-bye” – use gestures like shaking their head “no” or clapping
- start to pull themselves to a standing position, using furniture or someone’s hands and may begin to take steps
- like to look at picture books with an adult
- make jabbering sounds similar to simple words

Most 12 to 15 month olds:
- feed themselves using their fingers
- look when they hear their name
- like to repeat stories and songs
- take steps with help and begin to walk

Most 15 to 18 month olds:
- take shoes and socks off and try to put them back on
- listen and move to music
- begin to ask for things such as milk, a book, a doll