Month fourteen

With your toddler’s growing independence, also comes a realization that she can get what she wants.

Where before if you took a toy away your baby would cry but be easily distracted with something else, now she’ll vocalize her distaste at you (or any other child who takes something away from her) by screaming. This is all perfectly natural (and as far as development goes, it means your toddler is learning ways to express herself) but it’s up to you to teach her that (most) people don’t get what they want by throwing temper tantrums.

Mobility

Your 14 month old may be able to walk well by now (but don’t worry if she’s not yet, some toddlers don’t walk until they’re around 17 months old) and if this is the case she may try going up stairs, walking backwards and even jumping. Toddlers love to use mini trampolines – these are not only great fun, but help to improve balance and coordination, important skills for a toddler on the go. Make sure someone is always close by to your toddler at this stage, as her experiments with how fast she can walk can turn into a run, and her inquisitiveness could get her into tricky situations if she is unsupervised. See our feature on toddler walking safety or baby-proof home and garden.

Language

Her repertoire is increasing and by 14 months she may be able to say four to six words. Once she learns a word she will be so elated she will use it at every opportunity so airplanes, helicopters, flies and sometimes trees are all ‘bird’ (or whatever word she has chosen). See helping your toddler to talk. She will also gesture to objects she wants, which can be funny when she points to your glass of wine when the in-laws visit! She may also be able to follow simple commands like ‘give it to mommy’ or ‘bring it to me’ – helpful if she is about to put something non-edible into her mouth.

Food

Feeding herself will be her new obsession as baby mush and being spoonfed are no longer fun. Some 14 month olds can use a spoon or fork, but most miss their mouths, smear food on their faces and generally want to play with their food as much as possible. You can pre-empt a floor disaster by laying newspaper down underneath her chair to catch stray food. See our Feeding and Food area for help on all things food and baby related.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.