My 1-year-old Rafizi Rosli

12 Months Old - 1st Week

Taking his first steps

That major rite of passage is almost here, if it hasn't happened already — some time this month, your baby may take his first steps alone. (If he doesn't, don't worry — it takes some children several more weeks or months to start toddling.) If he's like most children, your little one will take those early strides on tiptoe with his feet turned outward. Keep the camera ready to capture the moment!

New kinds of play

Your baby's play probably will start shifting from mastering his fine motor skills — he's got that thumb-and-forefinger grasp down pat — to exercising larger muscles. Some children this age have an attention span of two to five minutes for quiet activities, although your child's favorite games may not be all that quiet.

Your child probably thinks it's fun to push, throw, and knock everything down. He'll give you a toy as well as take one, and he likes games where he can put things in containers and dump them out again. This works well with blocks in buckets or boxes and with pots and pans, which he can nest inside one another. He'll thrill to the loud sounds of those pots and pans banging together, too.

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12 Months Old - 2nd Week

Making bedtime easier

Napping is one of the small luxuries for a parent that's built into caring for a baby, especially if you use the downtime to rest and recharge yourself. But as your child rounds the corner of his first year, he may begin to resist taking naps. Not only that, but his growing independence may lead him to make a fuss at bedtime, too.

Following a well-established bedtime routine, which might include a bath or a story, can give him the comfort of knowing what to expect at bedtime and help settle him to sleep.

Whatever you do, make sure you and your toddler have plenty of time to connect and wind down at the end of the day. You may choose to alternate activities with your partner — you do the bath, he reads the story, and so on — each night. Or, to give both of you a break several times a week, try switching nights when you're responsible for putting your toddler to bed.

Another trick to help bedtime go more smoothly is to have a babysitter or relative put your toddler to bed every so often, following the routine that you've established. That way, your toddler will learn to associate bedtime with the routine, and not to be dependent on your presence to drift off to sleep.

Using a spoon

Your toddler may start feeding himself with a spoon this month, though his aim won't be the best. Prepare for a little more mess than usual, and let him go at it — using a spoon is a great way for your toddler to improve his hand-eye coordination, exercise his independence, and make mealtime more fun.

Remember, your child is an individual

All children are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your child has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your child was premature, keep in mind that babies born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions about your toddler's development, ask his doctor.

to be continued.......

from: www.babycenter.com