Months 13-15

Mental Development

• Start to understand basic instructions
• Imitate activities
• Attempt to touch every object within reach, because of curiosity
• Understand that their name is unique to them
• Use gestures to communicate needs
• Use a few recognisable words correctly
• Point to an object that they want

Visual Development

• Carefully watch movement of people and things
• Place an object in hole of corresponding shape
•  Recognise their own face in the mirror
•  Look and touch coloured pictures with interest

Growth

13 Months

• Weigh about 9.2 kg if she’s a girl or about 9.9 kg if he’s a boy
• Be about 75.2 cm tall if she’s a girl or about 76.9 cm tall if he’s a boy

14 Months

•  Weigh about 9.4 kg if she’s a girl or about 10.1 kg if he’s a boy
• Be about 76.4 cm tall if she’s a girl or about 78 cm tall if he’s a boy

15 Months

• Weigh about 9.6 kg if she’s a girl or about 10.3 kg if he’s a boy
• Be about 77.5 cm tall if she’s a girl or about 79.1 cm tall if he’s a boy

Motor Development

• Pick up very small morsels of food using their thumb and forefinger
• Like to touch different textures—sticky, squishy, etc.
• Walk fairly well, though sometimes unsteadily
• Learn to walk backward by 14 months
• Be able to stand alone for long periods of time
• Be able to bend over and stand back up again while maintaining their balance
• Put an object into a container
• Be able to lie down from the sitting position
• Bring a spoon to their mouth, but lose some of the food

Social and Emotional Development

• Show some signs of independence, such as self-feeding
• Be torn between independence and clinging to their parents at times
• Be able to indicate what he wants in ways other than crying

• Be happy to encounter other children
• Say “no” to you sometimes to demonstrate their new-found identity
• Be loving and affectionate
• Find reassurance in having parents around
• Have a “blankey” or security object