Watch out mom, your child is in a major transitory phase and she is on the move! This time is full of wonder; where you get to watch your toddler become mobile. Try not to lose your cool when your toddler drops things repeatedly and expects you to pick them up again because she is trying to figure out how they work. Remember that this is very important for brain development!

Physical/Motor

• I might walk all the way across a large room without the support and without falling or wobbling from side to side.
• I can hold a regular cup or glass without help and drink from it without spilling.
• I might run stiffly, with my eyes on the ground.
• I poke and squeeze clay, bread, and play dough.
• I can use fine finger movements when playing with objects.

Sensory - Cognitive

• I can identify an object in a picture book.
• I now look for objects that are out of sight.
• I am solving problems by trial and error.
• I can point to at least one body part.
• I am exploring control over the environment (i.e I may repeatedly drop items and see what happens).
• I may seem selfish at times; please be patient with me when this happens.

Communication & Speech Development

• use many gestures so you understand what I want (I’ll point to my toy on the shelf so you can get it for me).
• My vocabulary consists of 5-10 words (at 15 months), and I can say 8-10 words you can understand.
• I understand 50 words.
• I ask specifically for my mother or father.
• I use "hi," "bye," and "please" with reminders.
• I shake my head "no" and "yes" meaningfully.

Social-Emotional (Play)

• I can play out of sight of my caregiver for 5-10 min.
• I play near other children for short periods.
• I laugh at silly actions (i.e. wearing a bowl as a hat).
• I become anxious when separated from parent(s). Mom if you need more info on this, please click here. (Please insert hyperlink on managing separation anxiety)
• I compete with other children for toys. Mom if you need more info on this, please click here. (Please insert hyperlink on sharing)
• I protest when frustrated.

Feeding/EatingI

• can feed myself things like cut-up pieces of bread.
• I have a controlled bite with well-coordinated opening and closing of the mouth.
• I have regular poops (bowel movements).

Mom, here’s what you can do for me when I’m between 12-15 months:

• Make sure I have lots of safe spaces to move, explore and maybe fall and get up a few times.
• Read to me.
• When I am doing things, make sure you describe my actions. “Look at you rolling the big red ball!”
• Help me when I try to communicate.
• If I say “bye,” you can say something like, “oh, you’re ready to go out for a drive!”
• Give me a spoon and let me try to feed myself applesauce or yogurt. It’s okay if I am super messy.
• I am learning how to be independent and I’m improving my coordination.
• Make sure you take me to play dates so I can watch other kids my age and learn from them.
• It’s okay if I don’t share just yet.
• Establish and maintain my daily routine.
• This makes me feel safe and I learn how to predict when things happen.

Act early

Act early Talk to my doctor if by 15 months I:

• Do not crawl
• Drag one side of body while crawling (for over one month)
• Cannot stand when supported
• Do not search for objects that are hidden while I’m watching
• Say no single words ("mama" or "baba")
• Do not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head
• Do not point to objects

Need more information on dealing with toddler-related problems? Click on a topic below.

Why doesn’t my toddler share?!

What are these terrible tantrums and emotional outbursts all about?

Starting nursery and/or managing separation anxiety with toddlers