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
