All children develop a little differently. If you are concerned about your child's development, talk to your child's health care provider.
PHYSICAL AND MOTOR SKILLS
The 12-month-old child is expected to:
- Triple the birth weight
- Grow to a height of 50% over birth length
- Have a head circumference equal to that of the chest
- Have one to eight teeth
- Pull to stand
- Walk with help or alone
- Sit down without help
- Bang two blocks together
- Turn through the pages of a book by flipping many at a time
- Have a precise pincer grasp
- Sleep 8 - 10 hours at night and take one to two naps
SENSORY AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The typical 12-month-old:
- Follows a fast moving object
- Has control over response to sounds
- Responds to his or her name
- Understands several words
- Can say mamma, papa, and at least one or two other words
- Understands simple commands
- Tries to imitate animal sounds
- Associates names with objects
- Understands that objects continue to exist, even when they are not seen (object constancy)
- Points to objects with index finger
- Waves bye
- May develop attachment to a toy or object
- Experiences separation anxiety and may cling to parents
- May make brief journeys away from parents to explore in familiar settings
PLAY
You can help your 12-month-old develop skills through play:
- Provide picture books
- Provide different stimuli, such as going to the mall or zoo
- Play ball
- Build vocabulary by reading and naming people and objects in the environment
- Teach hot and cold through play
- Provide large toys that can be pushed to encourage walking
- Control the type and amount of television watched
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