Model Marriage
feed himself rather than have him throwing tantrums and refusing to eat. It may
be very messy as he flips bowls of food over, dumps them on his head, or throw
the food around when he becomes bored, but you will just have to clean up after.- Your little one may now be babbling “da-da” and “ma-ma” and now knows the
difference. He knows that “ma-ma” means you. He will probably also recognize
his own name, and relate to ideas that go with the words e.g. pointing to the sky
when he hears an airplane, for example. This is the beginning of what experts
refer to as receptive language skills i.e. understanding the meaning of specific
words before he actually has the ability to say them.
The Twelfth Month
- Around this month, the child becomes a toddler: he starts to walk. He needs more
monitoring because he is now very slippery. If your child isn’t toddling around
his first birthday, don’t be alarmed. Babies are expected to walk between 9 to 18
months, with most babies walking, on the average, at about 13 months. As long
as your child’s doing some combination of standing, stepping, cruising––with or
without holding onto something––he’s on the right track. - Babies become rather stubborn during this month. If he doesn’t feel like doing
something, it will be difficult to get him to do it. You may find him resisting
bedtime, refusing meals, getting annoyed if you leave him strapped in the stroller
too long while shopping. He also now has a real sense of humour, enjoying
interaction––especially with other kids, and can be quite lovable when he is in the
mood. - This is a great time for playing games with him. He will enjoy games like covering
himself with a blanket and waiting for you to say: “Where’s baby?” so he can pull
it off. He also becomes fascinated with his body parts, so this is the time to start
naming, “nose”, “hair”, “eyes” and letting him point to them. Another funny
development will be your child’s desire to imitate you. He’ll attempt to comb his
own hair, position his diaper beneath him, talk on the phone, etc.
Notes- Paul C. Reisser, No Fear Guide for First Time Parents(Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House,
2001), 119; Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi E. Murkoff and Sandee E. Hathaway, What to Expect When
You’re Expecting(New York: Workman Publishing, 1991), 302. - Margaret F. Myles, Textbook for Midwives(Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1985),