The place has the time gone? That when-little child is now a toddler with an ever-changing persona. Your 17-month-old will proceed their journey by toddlerhood and obtain much more milestones. They’ll hold exploring their world with glee and amazement, studying new abilities and phrases day by day. On this article, we’ll cowl your 17-month-old’s growth and milestones, with the whole lot from their sleep and feeding schedule to what number of phrases they need to say.
As your 17-month-old continues to develop and develop, they’ll proceed to claim their want for independence. You’ll stand in awe, watching their growth take off. Some new milestones you’ll be able to count on your 17-month-old to attain embody:1
- Strolling independently with out help
- Strolling sideways and backward
- Crawling up and down the steps
- Pulling themselves up right into a chair
- Consuming independently from a cup
- Utilizing a spoon and fork
- Serving to to get themselves dressed by placing their legs and arms by their shirts and pants
- Scribbling
- Figuring out the names of physique components and pointing to them when requested, similar to their nostril, eyes, ears, and tummy
- Placing small toys into and out of a container
- Constructing a block tower that’s two or extra blocks excessive
As your 17-month-old communication improves, you could marvel what number of phrases they need to be saying. There’s a variety of “regular” at this age. They’ll use a number of phrases that imply particular issues, similar to “baba” for bottle, “wawa” for water, “da” for canine, and many others. They may begin to mix two phrases collectively, however it is a talent sometimes achieved by the age of two.2
As your toddler continues to develop, sustaining an ample weight loss plan is crucial. Your toddler will want three meals a day plus two to a few snacks. These snacks sometimes happen mid-morning, once more within the mid-afternoon, and generally earlier than mattress, relying in your schedule. Supply your toddler their meals and snacks in a excessive chair or booster chair with ample again and foot help.3 Give them a variety of meals to assist them discover their tastes and guarantee they obtain the right vitamins. Embody numerous sorts of fruits, greens, complete grains, meats, cheeses, and yogurts.4
Now that your toddler is over a 12 months previous, they will have complete cow’s milk or fortified soy milk. You’ll be able to proceed breast milk for so long as you prefer to or have entry to it. They’ll want about 16-24 ounces of milk day by day, which it is best to provide them in a cup as a substitute of a bottle. It’s beneficial that your toddler drink from a cup by 18 months previous.3 Your toddler also can have between 4 and eight ounces of water day by day.4
Listed here are some concepts that will help you plan meals to your toddler. Keep in mind, they’ll eat fairly small parts, so that you don’t want to supply them massive quantities of every meals:3
- Breakfast: 1 cup of complete milk with one slice of complete grain bread with peanut butter or one scrambled egg
- Lunch and dinner: 1 cup of complete milk and a small portion of the household’s dinner (Be certain that to incorporate greens, proteins similar to meat, fish, or beans, and complete grains similar to pasta, bread, or brown rice)
- Snacks: 1 cup of milk or water with one container of yogurt or one piece of toast with peanut butter, complete grain crackers with cheese, or a number of items of fruit
Many 17-month-olds’ sleep habits comply with the identical sample as months previous. Your toddler wants between 11 and 14 hours of sleep day by day, together with one two- to three-hour afternoon nap.5
Some 17-month-olds can expertise one other interval of sleep regression. Sleep regressing is when your toddler has a change of their sleeping sample, leading to problem staying or falling asleep. Quite a lot of issues could cause sleep regression, however the commonest causes embody:6
Sleep regression is a troublesome interval, however fortunately, there are methods you’ll be able to assist your infant cope, relying on your loved ones’s sleep preferences, similar to:6
- Sustaining a constant routine and bedtime
- Avoiding display time
- Having your toddler sleep of their crib
- Placing them to mattress whereas they’re drowsy however not but asleep
- Permitting them to fuss for a couple of minutes earlier than offering them with consolation
- Giving them consolation and reassurance whereas they’re nonetheless of their crib
- Giving them dietary supplements similar to melatonin or magnesium, which it is best to solely give with steering out of your baby’s physician
Sustaining a constant schedule can appear formidable to some, nevertheless it doesn’t need to be! The bottom line is to develop one which works for you and your loved ones. Planning meal and nap instances will enable you to create a constant schedule.
At this age, your toddler will take one afternoon nap day by day, which often begins round 1:00 p.m. and lasts two to a few hours. Aiming for a bedtime round 7:30 p.m. will assist your toddler get the beneficial 11-14 hours of sleep they want a day.5
Your toddler ought to eat their meals alongside the remainder of the household. Schedule your meals across the time that works finest for your loved ones. Toddlers will even want a minimum of two snacks day by day, one between breakfast and lunch and one other between lunch and dinner.3
Sadly, childhood diseases will probably turn out to be part of your 17-month-old’s life as they turn out to be extra social with different individuals and children. Toddlers will common between six and eight colds a 12 months, or extra in the event that they’re in daycare, so that you’ll get a number of apply treating their signs. Toddlers ought to by no means have over-the-counter chilly or cough medication or aspirin. One of the best ways to deal with their chilly is with relaxation and hydration. If they’ve a fever or are particularly fussy, you should utilize Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen). These assist deal with ache, discomfort, and fevers your infant could expertise throughout their chilly. Be certain that to comply with the package deal instructions or test together with your physician for the correct dosing.7
Together with colds, your toddler may additionally expertise a number of different widespread childhood diseases, like the next:8
- Ear infections, which might trigger ache, fever, irritability, and problem sleeping
- Bronchiolitis that may result in swelling of the airways and extreme mucus, leading to coughing, fatigue, and hassle respiratory
- RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), which causes gentle cold-like signs in most youngsters however could cause an extreme cough, hassle respiratory, and pneumonia in others
- Hand, foot, and mouth illness, which generally causes sores to the mouth, arms, and toes (This may be painful and make it troublesome for the kid to eat)
- Abdomen flu, which causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
Your toddler is prone to get better from these diseases at dwelling. Nevertheless, some signs require speedy medical consideration. In case your toddler is displaying any of the next signs, search medical consideration instantly:7
- Extreme sleepiness with little to no facial expressions
- Very troublesome to console
- Weak or no cry
- Refuses foods and drinks or solely takes a number of small sips or bites for greater than a day
- Darkish yellow urine, no tears, or a dry mouth
Name 9-1-1 in case your baby experiences the next:
- Excessive hassle respiratory
- Irregular coloring similar to grey, blue, or very pale
- Lack of consciousness
Now that your toddler’s weight acquire has slowed in comparison with their first 12 months of life, you could marvel how a lot they need to weigh. They are going to be weighed subsequent at their 18-month check-up in the event that they’ve been rising usually up till this level. Typically, a toddler features 3 to five kilos between 12 and 24 months of age. They’ll additionally acquire round 3 inches in top by their second birthday.9
Together with your toddler wanting to claim their independence, you could marvel how one can have interaction them in enjoyable actions to assist their independence develop. Listed here are just some methods you’ll be able to have interaction together with your toddler:2,10
- Ask them easy questions and permit them to reply. For instance, “What does a canine say?”
- Give them easy decisions, similar to permitting them to select between two totally different snacks throughout snack time.
- Restrict display time for each your toddler and your self. (At this age, no display time is beneficial.11)
- Speak to them at eye degree.
- Train them the names of their physique components, similar to their nostril, eyes, ears, and mouth.
- Roll a ball backwards and forwards with them, or push a toy automotive backwards and forwards, making noises together with it.
- Learn to them and permit them to babble alongside and switch the pages.
- Blow bubbles for them to pop.
- Give them fake toys to play with, similar to a toy telephone or a child doll.
- Train them tips on how to say “please” and “thanks.”
Retaining your toddler protected can look like a full-time job. They’ll discover their environment by entering into the whole lot. And I imply the whole lot! They’ll get into belongings you by no means thought they’d get into. So, listed here are a number of security tricks to implement in your house to maintain your toddler protected:2
- Set up window guards on all home windows.
- Set up gates on the prime and backside of all stairs.
- Set up cupboard locks on all decrease cupboards and drawers.
- Set up rest room seat locks.
- Set up outlet covers on all unused retailers.
- Maintain all drugs and cleansing options out of attain.
- Maintain all weapons and ammunition locked up, and hold weapons unloaded.
- Supervise your toddler round all water, together with bathtubs, swimming pools, rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds. Keep inside arm’s size always.
- Use a rear-facing automotive seat.
With every new childhood stage your infant reaches, numerous feelings are certain to creep up. One minute, you’re overcome with pleasure watching your toddler run round, and the following, you could miss after they had been a smaller child. It’s vital to recollect you’re not alone in experiencing this rollercoaster of feelings. Embrace every new talent your infant is reaching whereas remembering how far they’ve come!
