After your baby’s first birthday, it’s another lovely stage for him. It’s a crucial period for your baby, and you must make certain that you are not restricting his growth. Allow him to explore the captivating world around him. In this guide, you’ll find out what developmental milestones your baby should achieve at 13 months.
Sleep
At this age, your toddler will have about 14 hours of sleep daily. This includes a night-time sleep of about 12 hours, including 1 or 2 short naps during the day. But your baby will begin to spend less time sleeping during the day and sleep more at night over the next few months. Don’t be surprised if he drops the morning nap altogether – it’s normal. He may rely on good sleep during the day for some hours.
Food
Healthy eating habits acquired now can last for a long time. So focus on providing three balanced meals daily with the regular vitamin drops and healthy snacks.
Include the following into your baby’s diet daily:
• Starchy foods – rice, bread, potatoes, and pasta.
• Protein foods – Beans, legumes, and more
• Fruit and vegetables – oranges, sweet potatoes, peas, squash, and celery
• Milk and dairy foods – cheese, milk, and yogurt
Give your baby water while eating during snack time. Don’t give your 13 month-old foods that are high in fat and sugar. These include chocolates, sweets, and cake. You can give him occasionally, since they’re high in calories and offer little nutrients for your baby. What’s more, sugar can cause tooth decay.
Physical development
Has the color of his eyes changed since birth? If no, the current color of his eyes will remain unchanged for the rest of his life.
Movement
Your baby should walk sideways or forwards a little by holding onto you. Also, he can take some wobbly steps on his own. Allowing him to balance on his own is a key part of walking.
So don’t rush to the rescue when he falls over unless he’s hurting of course. Encourage your baby to stand up by himself so he can walk without help.
Senses, emotions and communication
Your baby can say one or two words at this age. However, most babies haven’t gotten to this milestone yet.
For instance, your baby may do the following:
• Pull your clothes to draw your attention
• Points at something he wants
• Push away something he doesn’t want
• Wave his arms and scream with frustration until you know what he’s after
• Your baby will continue to test with sounds like ‘gana,’ ‘maba,’ and so on.
How to help your baby develop
Show him how to build a brick tower and ask him to imitate you as you do so. Points and name different body parts like the head, eyes, nose, tummy, and toes. Over time, he’ll begin to point at them too when you call out the body part. Talk and interact with him always, particularly about your activities.