• By 12 months, toddlers are ready to switch from formula to cow’s milk.
• Children may be breastfed beyond 1 year of age, if desired.
• Your child might move away from baby foods and be more interested in table foods.
• Give your child 3 meals and 2-3 nutritious snacks a day.
• Have your child eat during family mealtime.
• Be patient with your child as he/she learns to eat without help.
• Offer a variety of soft table foods.
• Use a small plate and a cup for drinking.
• Let your child decide what and how much to eat, and end the feeding when he/she stops eating.
• Avoid small, hard foods that can cause choking: nuts, popcorn, hot dogs, grapes, and raw veggies.
• As you introduce more foods and whole milk, the appearance and frequency of your child’s poopy diapers
  may change. Let your doctor know if your child has diarrhea, is constipated, or has poop that’s hard to pass.

• One-year-olds need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day, including one or two daytime naps.
• Make the hour before bedtime calm and comforting.
• Have a bedtime routine which involves reading, singing or both.
• Choose a bedtime for your child and stick to it. Earlier is better.

General Care

• Keep Daily routines for baby; Continue feeding, sleeping, bathing and playing routines.
• Watch over baby as he/she explores inside and outside of the home.
• Avoid yelling or scaring baby.

Healthy Teeth

• Brush your child’s teeth twice a day with a soft toothbrush. Use a small smear of fluoride toothpaste (the size
  of a grain of rice).
• Any concerns or problems with teeth should be examined by a dentist, but regular teeth cleanings are
  typically recommended at 3 years of age.
• Have regular times for baby to eat. Do not let him/her eat all day.
• Wean from the bottle.
• Keep up with your own dental health, and avoid sharing cups and spoons with your child.

• Fear of strangers is normal and peaks at this age.
• Respect your child’s fears and have strangers approach slowly; reassure your child.
• Avoid watching TV during family time.
• Begin family traditions such as going on a walk together or reading.
• Play with and read to your child often.
• Play interactive games such as peekaboo and patty cake. Name baby’s features as you touch them (Ex. hand, nose, ears, mouth, etc).
• Limit screen time for your toddler (TV, videos, computers, phones).
• Keep rules for your child short and simple.
• Use short time-outs for poor behavior, and praise your child for good behavior.
• Distract your child with something he likes during bad behavior.
• Help your toddler when he/she needs it.

By 12 months, it’s common for many babies to:

• say “mama” and “dada” and possibly a couple of other words.
• follow a one-step command with gestures (such as pointing as you ask for a ball).
• mimic gestures
• stand alone
• walk with one hand held and possibly take a few steps.
• precisely pick up object with thumb and forefinger.
• feed self with hands.
• enjoy peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, and other social games.

     * All babies develop at different rates, and meet developmental milestones differently.

Car Safety

• Visit healthychildren.org for complete car seat guidelines provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
• Make sure car seat is installed correctly (the Fire Department will check car seats for correct installation)
• Make sure seat is rear-facing in the back seat, and never in the front seat with a passenger side airbag
• Never leave baby alone in the car
• Always wear a seat belt, and do not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Always use a car safety seat properly. Place the seat rear-facing in the back seat until your child is 2 years of
  age or until he/she reaches the highest weight or height allowed by the car safety seat’s manufacturer. Never place the car safety seat in the front seat with a passenger airbag.
  (www.seatcheck.org)

Child Safety Seat Inspection:
1-866-SEATCHECK (732-2432) or www.seatcheck.org

General Safety

• Do not smoke/vape or allow others to smoke/vape around baby.
• Make sure places your child stays are safe.
• Do not leave baby unattended
  • Never leave a baby alone with siblings or pets, in the bath, on a changing table, or any other raised surface.
• Keep small objects such as balloons, bags, toys from other children away from baby.
• The kitchen is a dangerous place. Avoid letting baby crawl in kitchen by using a playpen or high chair.
• Keep up with childproofing:
  • Place gates on stairs, and close doors to rooms where your child might get hurt
  • Lock up all cleaning cleaning supplies, medicine, and poisons. Call Poison Help if your baby eats them.
  • To prevent drowning, close bathroom doors, keep toilet seats down, and always supervise around
    water (including baths). Make sure to empty tubs, sinks and pools of water immediately.
  • Don’t leave hot irons or hair care appliances plugged in.
  • Lock away knives and scissors.
  • Keep small objects such as balloons, bags, toys from other children away from your child.

• Always follow the advice of your doctor when giving any medication.
• Use our Medication Dosing Chart as a guideline for the appropriate dose of Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen) to give baby.