13-Month-Outdated Child: Feeding, Sleep, and Milestones by Month

Now that your child is 13 months previous, they’re coming into a brand new stage of life: the toddler stage. Throughout their toddler years, your 13-month-old will proceed to achieve new milestones, have an ever-changing urge for food, and have longer wake home windows. They may amaze you with all their new abilities, so buckle up and put together for an thrilling journey! Let’s dive into your 13-month-old child’s sleep and feeding schedule, actions you are able to do collectively, and extra.

At 13 months previous, your child is now within the toddler stage, which brings about new milestones. Their curiosity will take off, and so they’ll turn out to be extra social, desirous to work together with these round them — however primarily folks they already know as a result of stranger hazard can be at an all-time excessive!¹² Some new milestones to count on now or within the subsequent a number of months embody:¹

• Standing alone with out help
• Taking just a few steps unassisted
• Carrying small objects of their palms
• Pushing or pulling objects like containers
• Dumping toys out of a container
• Pointing at one thing to let you know they need it
• Turning the pages of a guide whilst you learn
• Holding a spoon throughout meals however struggling to get the spoon into their mouth
• Stacking two or extra objects on high of one another
• Recognizing themselves within the mirror and waving at themselves
• Imitating others
• Following one-step instructions, like “Put this ball within the bin”

As your child grows and develops, their urge for food can even change. Relating to their feeding schedule, your 13-month-old child will eat three meals a day and have two to 3 snacks.¹¹ Their meals will line up with the remainder of the household’s meal occasions.

Now is a superb time to transition your child to cow’s milk. They need to have round 16 ounces of complete cow’s milk each day. If they’ll’t have dairy, soy milk is an appropriate different. Keep away from different plant-based milk, akin to oat or rice milk, as they lack the protein, nutritional vitamins, and calcium your child wants. In the event that they proceed consuming breast milk, you may add in cow’s milk as nicely or wait till they’re accomplished with breast milk.³

You too can begin the transition of your child consuming from a cup as a substitute of a bottle. The purpose is to have them drink from an open cup by 2 years previous. To assist with the transition, serve your child complete milk, breast milk, or water in a cup throughout meals and snacks. After they’re comfy utilizing a cup at meal occasions, supply it to them at nap time and at last at bedtime.⁴

It may be exhausting to know simply how a lot meals your 13-month-old child wants throughout the day. It’s essential to do not forget that their urge for food will fluctuate from each day, so simply because they ate a certain quantity as we speak doesn’t imply they’ll eat that very same quantity tomorrow. The final purpose must be to have a rainbow number of meals every week. However listed below are some useful serving pointers to observe:²

• 6 servings of grains per day (1 serving equals ½ slice of bread, ¼ cup of cereal, 1-2 crackers, or ¼ cup of pasta)
• 2-3 servings of veggies per day (1 serving equals 1 tablespoon of cooked veggies)
• 2-3 servings of fruit per day (1 serving equals ¼ cup of fruit)
• 2-3 servings of dairy per day (1 serving equals ½ cup of milk, ½ ounces of cheese, or ⅓ cup of yogurt)
• 2 servings of protein per day (1 serving equals 1 ounce of cooked meat, 2 tablespoons of floor meat, ½ egg, or 1 tablespoon of clean peanut butter)
• 16 ounces of complete milk, soy milk, or breast milk
• As much as 8 ounces of water

Sustaining a constant sleep schedule will present your 13-month-old child with the correct quantity of sleep for his or her age and assist with intervals of sleep regression. At this age, your child wants 11-14 hours of sleep each day, together with a two- to three-hour afternoon nap. Some infants will nonetheless take a morning nap and a day nap; following your child’s lead on when to drop their morning nap is essential. It’s nonetheless applicable in your 13-month-old to have their bedtime round 7:30 p.m.⁵

Whereas sleep regression will not be anticipated at this age, your 13-month-old can expertise one other interval of sleep regression. Sleep regression happens when your child has problem each falling and staying asleep. It could possibly occur for numerous causes, however the most typical causes for sleep regression embody teething, sickness, a change of their schedule, or a big life change, akin to shifting to a brand new home. Fortunately, sleep regression sometimes solely lasts two to 4 weeks.⁶

Sleep regression is difficult on the entire household, however there are methods you may assist your toddler overcome it. These embody the next:⁶

• Don’t allow them to sleep in your mattress, which may lengthen the sleep regression interval.
• Maintain a constant bedtime and bedtime routine.
• Don’t give them display screen time earlier than mattress.
• Incorporate stress-free actions into their bedtime routine, akin to bathtub time, studying, or smooth lullabies.
• Put them to mattress once they’re drowsy however not but asleep. This may assist them study to go to sleep on their very own.
• In the event that they get up at evening, permit them to fuss for a couple of minutes earlier than entering into to consolation them. This may assist them study to self-soothe.
• Strive reassuring them whereas they’re nonetheless of their crib, as a substitute of selecting them up once they cry.
• Present them with a consolation merchandise, akin to a blanket or a stuffed animal.

Consistency is essential in your child’s each day routine. Purpose for constant wake occasions, meal occasions, and nap occasions. In case your child has transitioned to solely needing one nap per day, purpose for that nap to start out round 1 p.m. This nap will final round two to 3 hours. Additionally, purpose for a bedtime of seven:30 p.m.⁵ Having a schedule gives your child with construction and stability, aiding their growth.

At this age, a scheduled well-child check-up isn’t wanted, so long as your child attended their 12-month check-up and acquired their vaccines.¹³ As your toddler grows, they get uncovered to many sicknesses. The most typical childhood sicknesses they’ll be uncovered to incorporate the frequent chilly, ear infections, fevers, and the abdomen flu. Many of those sicknesses may be handled at dwelling, however there are some things to recollect:^7,14

• Don’t give your child any over-the-counter chilly or cough drugs.
• You’ll be able to deal with a fever by alternating Tylenol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen. (Be certain that to observe the dosing directions listed on the packaging.)
• Use saline nasal drops to assist with congestion.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends treating any ear an infection in kids beneath 2 years previous with antibiotics.

Whereas your child can get better from most sicknesses on their very own, in the event that they’re experiencing any of those signs, it’s best to contact their physician:^8,15

• They’ve a fever for 3 or extra days, or it’s greater than 105 F.
• They really feel chilly to the contact, or they really feel scorching to the contact with shivering.
• They’re quiet or overly sleepy.
• They’ve speedy respiration or bother respiration.
• They’ve a barking cough or make harsh sounds when respiration.
• They’re exhausting to wake or seem confused after waking.
• They’ve pale, grey, or spotty pores and skin.
• There’s a change of their cry (akin to crying extra, being unable to be comforted, or not crying).

In case you have another issues about your 13-month-old’s well being, don’t hesitate to contact your physician.

The easiest way to assist your 13-month-old child attain their milestones is to have interaction them in enjoyable and developmentally applicable actions. Listed here are some concepts that can assist you have interaction your toddler:⁹

• Repeat the sounds your child makes again to them.
• Inform them the title of an object they see earlier than handing it to them.
• Enable them to assist with easy duties, akin to placing toys away on the finish of the day.
• Sing songs and incorporate strikes in your child to repeat.
• Dance with them.
• Learn books collectively.
• Play hide-and-seek.
• Educate them needed behaviors, akin to easy methods to contact their pet gently.

With all the brand new progress and milestones your 13-month-old child goes by way of, conserving them protected is a high precedence. Infants discover their world with out a sense of hazard. It’s as much as you to make sure they continue to be protected whereas permitting them to discover their atmosphere. Listed here are just a few ideas that may assist preserve your child protected:¹⁰

• Maintain all cords, breakable gadgets, medicines, family cleaners, choking hazards, and scorching or sharp objects out of attain.
• In case your child has presumably consumed any dangerous substance, contact Poison Management instantly at 1-800-222-1222.
• Use security gates on the high and backside of all stairs.
• Stop drowning by conserving all bathroom lids closed and supervising your child whereas they’re within the bathtub or close to water.
• If weapons are in the home, preserve them unloaded and locked in a safe cupboard.
• Use a rear-facing automotive seat.
• Apply not less than SPF 30 sunscreen earlier than taking part in outdoors, and reapply each two hours.
• Don’t smoke or permit others to smoke round your child.

Watching your child transfer into the toddler stage is rewarding and bittersweet as they depart babyhood behind. By serving to them attain new milestones, conserving them protected, and interesting them in stimulating actions, you may assist help your 13-month-old’s progress. This subsequent 12 months might be full of recent achievements in your toddler, and their journey of discovery is simply starting.