A little time has passed since the first birthday, and the 12-month-old baby is getting bigger and more active. This may be a time when you are concerned about your child’s development, as more and more children begin to experience their “first steps” and “first words.
Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics of the 14-month-old.
Characteristics of Babies at 14 Months: Height and Weight
This is the time when the baby’s body gradually begins to emerge from its image as a “soft and plump baby,” and its body becomes firmer and more toned.
Compared to the time of birth, the baby will grow to be about 1.5 times taller and more than three times heavier, approaching the body shape of a toddler. The change in body shape often makes them realize how much they have grown.
Boys Girls
Approximate height: 72.1-81.7 cm 70.2-79.9 cm
Approximate weight: 8.02-11.51kg 7.46-10.90kg
Be able to stand and some children begin to walk
Muscle strength and a sense of balance will develop, and the child will be able to stand stably without holding hands.
Children are also able to perform more complex movements, such as holding an object on the floor and standing up, which was previously difficult for them. As their sense of balance develops further, they are able to shift their weight alternately from one foot to the other and take their first steps.
In the beginning, they walk with their feet wide apart and their hands raised (so-called “waddling”), as if they are moving in a straight line toward a goal.
By standing and walking, the child’s field of vision expands and he/she has more opportunities to use his/her hands, which promotes further development.
However, the timing of the beginning of walking varies greatly from baby to baby, and a child who walks at a slower pace may be as young as 1 year and 5 to 6 months old, so there is no need to be impatient compared to other children.
Baby food finally reaches the completion stage.
The four front teeth on the top and bottom of the mouth come in and the child is able to chew through them.
The standard for food is about the consistency of meatballs, which can be crushed with the gums. The baby will be able to get most of the nutrients it needs from food, and will enter the stage of complete weaning.
The baby’s desire to eat increases, and may try to put the food in their mouth by themselves by grabbing it by hand or using a spoon. Since they tend to fill their mouths, it is important to monitor and follow their progress.
Since the amount of food they can eat at one time is still small, it is important to supplement nutrition with snacks in addition to the three meals they eat each day. It would be good if you can prepare onigiri (rice balls), bread, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, etc. twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Baby may say “word that makes sense.”
“Do you want some milk?” and so called two-word sentences will be understood more and more. Communication with adults will become much smoother than before.
At this time, many people may be looking forward to the first words that have meaning.
However, just as with the “beginning of walking,” the “beginning of talking” also develops at a very different speed for each individual. Even if they have not yet begun to talk, for example, “Where is your daddy?” and if the child seems to understand the meaning of simple sentences, such as turning in the direction of the dad when asked, there is no problem.
The child will begin to speak at his or her own pace, imitating the words spoken to him or her by the adults around him or her.
Conclusion
This is the time when children are trying to do things around them by themselves, such as walking and eating, which is an adorable challenge.
It is easy to compare their developmental level with someone else’s and worry about whether they are behind, but in most cases, this is an “individual difference”.
