Your Little Voyager

We just finished talking about the things your baby can do from birth to 12 months. Next part is from 12 to 24 mos. when your infant becomes a little voyager!
When your child protests at bedtime, there are countless thrilling things going on, and he may want to be with you and stay a little longer. Tell him the time for bed. Give a sequence for bedtime, like after dinner he will take a bath, and then sleep time. Before sleeping he may be read book, or mommy may tell a story or sing for baby first. 

When he clings or cries when you are leaving, he may be saying that you make him feel safe and he’s anxious when you’re not around. Think about the feeling of your child and prepare him for it, by playing games like peekaboo and reassuring him that you will always come back when you say goodbye.

When he uses a spoon, drinks from a cup, and does other things using his fine motor skills, he’s learning to use his hands and do things for himself. Try to provide materials to your child like small toys which he can manipulate with his fingers, providing a room for practice.

When he responds to music by dancing and moving, he’s developing his gross motor skills. Dance and move with him, allow him to listen to different kinds of music and discover what he prefers best.

When he points to something and then looks at you to share his discovery, he’s developing his sensory skills as he would desire to hold and touch that thing. Allow your child to do so, when the object is safe.

When he says “No!” and begins defying rules and pushing limits, he wants to have independence and develop his own ideas. Encourage independence but with limited choices like asking him if he wants to wear the green or the yellow shirt, instead of asking him what shirt he wants to wear. Begin setting up coherent restrictions.