Milestones

As your baby approaches their first birthday, you will probably be amazed at how much he or she has grown and developed in this first year. Different babies reach various milestones at different rates…but by the time your baby reaches the age of 12 months, they will probably:

• Learn to let go of objects voluntarily and hand things to you
• Put objects into a container and take objects out of a container
• Get into a sitting position without help
• Crawl forward on their belly or in a hands-and-knees position
• Pull him/herself up to a standing position
• Stand without support
• Begin to walk without support
• Begin to learn to climb up and down stairs
• Respond to his/her own name and understand 'no'
• Distinguish emotions by your tone of voice, and repond to sounds by making sounds
• Start to babble using simple words, such as 'mama', 'dada' and 'uh-oh'
• Pay increasing attention to speech, and respond to simple verbal requests
• Use simple gestures, such as shaking heas for no or waving 'bye-bye'
• Repeat sounds or gestures for attention
• Imitate actions, for example, clapping when you clap
• Look at the correct picture when the image is named, and begin to use objects correctly (brushing hair, dialling a phone and listening to the receiver)
• Extend their arms and legs to help when being dressed
• Drink from a cup not a bottle
• Feed themselves with finger food

Well-Being and Safety

Now that your baby is learning to walk and you have a 'true' explorer in your home, you need to take some additional baby-proofing steps. Although your baby's immune system is becoming more robust, good hygiene is still important to protect them from the germs that can make them sick.

• Handwashing: It is still important to help prevent the spread of germs at this age, so wash your hands regularly, especially before preparing a feed, handling sterilised equipment and after changing a nappy
• Hand Sanitisers: If you do not have access to soap and water, you can use an alcohol based and sanitiser to help kill the germs on your hands
• Feeding Equipment: Once your child reaches their first birthday, you should not really need to sterilise any equipment anymore, but you must make sure crockery, cooking and eating utensils are clean. Use detergent and hot water. Scrub surfaces and then rinse thoroughly with clean, hot water
• Food Preparation Surfaces: Always clean and disinfect surfaces before using them to prepare feeds or weaning foods
• Clean and Disinfect Hand Contact Surfaces: To help stop germs spreading around your home, you need to clean and disinfect contact surfaces, such as taps, handles and bench tops
• Nappy Changing Mats: After each nappy change, you need to clean and disinfect nappy changing surfaces, and any surface you may have contaminated with germs
• High Chairs: When your baby is ready to start using a high chair, always use the safety harness. Remove any food debris promptly, and clean and disinfect the tray before putting your baby's food on it
• Floors: Regularly vacuum carpets and clean and disinfect any hard surface flooring you are going to let your baby crawl on. Take care to remove any hazardous objects that your baby could reach
• Stairs: Start to teach your child how to use the stairs, but do not let them go up and down on their own. Continue to use safety gates until your child is at least 2 years old
• Furniture: Bolt tall furniture to the wall if possible, to prevent it from toppling onto your child if he/she uses it for support. Consider covering any sharp corners with soft material to help soften the impact if your child runs into them
• Strangulation Hazards: Do not leave any rope or cord laying around
• Bathing/Water: Always supervise your child throughout bath time. Empty sinks, buckets and any other open water containers immediately after use. If you have a garden pond, make sure it is fenced off, filled in, or securely covered. It is easy for a child to topple in and drown
• Sharps: Keep sharp items, such as scissors, knives and razors out of reach
• Garden: Make sure your garden is secure so that your child cannot wander off. Remove any poisonous plants that your child might be tempted to eat
• First Aid: Keep your first aid kit stocked. Minor cuts, scrapes and bruises are unfortunately part of growing up