Your baby is growing. Not just physically but mentally as well. Every week brings new milestones and we are sure Mum and Dad are cherishing each one. Let’s take a look at what an average one year is now capable of.
Physical capabilities:
- Walks
- Climbs up and down
- Jumps
- Maintains good balance
- Muscles developed to carry out fine motor skills
Your little one’s body proportions have shifted over the 12 months. Their hands and feet are longer. Inside your womb, your baby’s growth happened in a way that enabled your little bundle of joy to come out of the womb with functions needed to survive in the big wide world. Their bones were soft at birth but now they have grown strong. They are now ready to walk with the helpful hands of mum and dad. There are some babies who learn to walk early while others take their time. There are some who even revert to crawling after walking. This might be because their tiny feet have grown tired and need some rest. Always remember, each little one is unique, so do not try to rush them.
Your baby now recognizes themselves
Yes, your baby can recognize themselves in addition to mum and dad. They might even recognize close relatives and friends. To experiment keep them in front of a mirror and watch them react! They might even call themselves ‘baba,’ ‘putha’ since that’s how you address them. By now they can even recognize mum and dad in photographs.
Muscle development
Your little one’s muscle coordination and motor skills have grown by leaps and bounds. They can now start to grasp thing using just their fingers. This is the essential skill needed for them to start scribbling.
Some babies who do not walk will still move efficiently and confidently by crawling. If you give them a hand, they love to stand up too! It’s not long now before they take baby steps on their own. Stay patient! Their first steps, however, will not be so graceful.
They jump!
Your little baby will try to jump. Did we mention they also like to climb stairs? This age is a mum’s nightmare as they begin to dislike eating. All they want is to stay active and crawl (or walk) all over maybe even play a bit of hide-and-seek. They become picky eaters too. This means weight gain is slow and painful. Don’t be sad, mum. You might complain about their eating but your little one is too busy trying to stay active. Weight gain might be slow, but they might grow by about an inch.
They know words
Babies speak baby words. They have their own unique vocabulary. It’s time for you to learn a new language. While they have their own words, they will also be able to imitate a few words/sounds you speak.
By now their hand control has improved. This mean anything they can get hold of they will grab it. In particular, crayons colour pencils so lookout walls. This is a good time to help them play with sand(clean) and water. Mixing sand with water improves their fine motor skills. This obviously means more work for mum to try and keep your little one clean. That’s okay mum, just don’t to stop them!
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