As play is crucial in the development of your child’s reasoning and creativity, you may want to play games like asking him to search for hidden toys or identify body parts when you name them. Your child might also start engaging in imaginative play by imitating your day-to-day actions like putting on shoes and talking on the phone. Beating and throwing items may also be observed in your child’s behaviour if he sees such actions performed by others.

In terms of emotions, your child will be deeply attached to his loved ones and will give you plenty of hugs and kisses. However, he may start to be more self-aware and feel shy if people are paying attention to him. Separation anxiety is also common among children of this age.

Your 15-18 Month Old Toddler’s Nutrition

Ensuring your toddler is getting the right nutrition is critical for their growth and development. Professor Joe Millward, Emeritus Professor of Human Nutrition, University of Surrey, attributes good growth to a healthy balanced diet, physical activity and sufficient sleep. Prof. Millward shared that some nutrients are more important than others in terms of the linear growth of the bones, and we can separate individual nutrients into two types:

What Can Your Little One Eat Now?

Breastmilk is the best food for your babies. However, from as early as 6 months old, you can start to introduce solid food. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor to identify the right time to start giving your toddler solid foods.

If you have already started transition to solid food, your toddler might be eating on your family’s schedule with three meals a day and two or three planned snacks. He will be transitioning to table foods, which is exciting, but he won’t like everything you give him. It can be tricky when toddlers are only interested in a limited variety of foods.

During this transition, you need to be patient yet persistent. Eat together as a family, and let your toddler enjoy the messy freedom of feeding himself. When you introduce a new food to your child, you may have to serve him small portions many times before he will eat it.

Did You Know?

Your eating habits and feeding styles can affect your children’s relationship with food. Abbott Nutrition interviewed expert Dr MacLean, clinical professor from Department of Paediatrics at The Ohio State University. Dr MacLean shared, “It’s not a parent’s job to control a child’s food intake. The parent’s job is to provide balanced meals, make the eating environment positive, and respond to children appropriately.”

There are 4 feeding styles, and the healthiest style is called ‘responsive feeding’. To read more about this click here.

Communication and Language

Motor Skills and Physical Development

If it has been some time since your child started walking, he may soon learn to run or climb the stairs or furniture. However, do not worry if he has yet to start walking as he will likely begin walking in the following few months.

Engaging Your 15-18 Month Old Toddler

Activities to stimulate your toddler’s development:

• Stay close to your child while he plays as it builds his confidence to discover new things by himself. It also shapes him to be self-reliant and self-confident as he grows.

• Urge him to play with other children as it helps him to learn how to make friends and interact with others. However, you should beware that he may not have grasped the concept of sharing at this stage.

Warning Signs

Although every toddler develops at a different pace, here are some signs to look out for concerning your toddler’s development. You may see your doctor if you notice any of these signs in or are concerned about your toddler’s development:

References:
¹ Golden MH. Specific deficiencies versus growth failure: type I and type II nutrients. SCN News. 1995;(12):10-4.
² American Academy of Pediatrics. Serving sizes for toddlers. Updated March 7, 2016. Accessed January 17, 2020. https://healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/toddler/nutrition/Pages/serving-sizes-for-toddlers.aspx 

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