One year on…

So here it is – that amazing landmark! Yes,your baby has turned one year old!

By this stage you’ll find that each day is one of learning and discovery. By now you’re probably looking on as your baby - for so long a helpless little mite - is picking up new talents at break-neck speed!

First words. First steps. The learning game becomes more exciting on a daily basis. Your child’s world is growing at an amazing rate and your toddler will embrace the opportunity to explore and learn about it.

Give your child the potential to experience all of these new activities in a safe environment. Encourage her to walk as often as possible, but not near streets or roads. Allow her to climb steps, such as on a slide, but stand by and be ready to come to the rescue if she needs you.

By the age of twelve months your child will probably be able to:

· wave bye-bye to you

· drink from a cup independently

· stand alone momentarily

· say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ spontaneously

· stand alone well

· play ball (rolling it back to you)

With regard to the above, the most important word is ‘probably’. By the age of one some children may be able to walk well, but the simple fact is that three out of four babies don’t walk until thirteen and a half months! Ditto with speech. Some children simply have more difficulty forming words at this age than others and for many the difficulty can continue into preschool and nursery years. To compensate for their inability to communicate verbally, many children will resort to their own forms of language, such as pointing or humming.

Always remember that each child is individual so don’t waste too much time poring over books, wondering if your child is doing everything that she ‘should’ be doing!

You’ll certainly want to celebrate this major milestone in your child’s life (and yours!), but there’s no need to lay on the birthday party of a lifetime! Keep it small and simple with familiar face. Don’t organise clowns or magicians as they could very easily frighten either your own baby or a playmate. Try to organise the party for a time when your baby is well-rested, recently fed and on her schedule. Keep the party short – an hour and a half at the most – so that she won’t be exhausted after it.

Look back and enjoy the memories and look forward to many happy years to come :)