13-15 Months
Help me be healthy
At this checkup:
- I will be weighed and measured.
- I will have several immunizations. Look at the Immunization Schedule at the back of this guide to see which immunizations I will receive at this check-up. If I had any reactions to the immunizations before, remind the doctor or nurse about what happened.
Ask the doctor or WIC Nutritionist about my eating habits. I am eating a variety of foods. Don't worry if my appetite changes from meal to meal.
Take my health journal whenever we go to the clinic or doctor. Write down the date that I have any immunizations and the reason for seeing a doctor. For example, write down whether I am sick or injured.
Play with me. It helps me learn.
- Read stories. This helps me learn new sounds and words.
- Play hide and seek games.
- Pretend with me. Let's make believe we are cooking, eating, washing, cleaning, drinking, or going on a hike. I like to copy what you do. Some of the time it will be fun for you to copy what I do.
- Build a tower with blocks.
- Reward me when I do a good thing. Think about rewarding me with activities that I like to do, such as reading a favorite story or spending time with a favorite person. Using food as a reward can lead to problems later.
Help me be safe.
Help me learn what is all right to do. Show me and tell me what you want me to do. If I don't do it or I disobey you, show me or tell me again. Praise me when I do it right. Do not yell or hit me. I learn more quickly and easily if you teach or show me than if you punish me.
Teach me not to play around stairs and windows. Accidents can happen. Check the screens on the windows. Make sure the screens are not broken or torn. The screens should be attached securely so I can't open them.
Be calm when I have a temper tantrum.
It is O.K. for me to cry and scream when I am angry. This is one way I say, "I am angry." I don't have enough words yet to explain my anger. You can say "I know you feel really angry when that happens!" As I grow older, I can learn other ways to deal with my anger.
It's not O.K. to let my screaming cause you to allow me to do what I want. Let me calm down and then help me change my attention to something I can do.
Here are some ways you can help me stop the tantrum:
- keep calm, Mom and Dad.
- keep me from hurting myself by putting me in a safe place.
- hug me and comfort me when I have calmed down.
- Spanking and yelling at me do not help. It only makes me angrier. I will calm down on my own. When I am quiet, help me do an activity that I enjoy.
Help me get ready to go to sleep. Bedtimes can be a problem when I am overtired. I really enjoy a story or other quiet activity before I go to sleep. This bedtime routine helps me settle down.
Watch for me to:
- let you know what I want without crying. I may point, reach, make a sound, put up my arms, pull on you, or even say a word.
- stand for 10 seconds or more.
- wave bye-bye when someone is leaving and says "bye-bye" to me.
- call you mama and dada. You are so happy to hear me say those words when I see you.
- talk all the time. Most of the time it sounds like jabbering and I am the only one who knows what it means.
- know the meaning of some words like juice, cup, no, and out.
- stop to pick something up and stand up again without holding on to anything.
- drop small things like a block into a container. When I do this, I open myhand to drop the block.
- turn and look when called.
I am learning at my own pace. If you have questions because you think it is taking me a long time to learn to do some of the items on this list, please call my doctor or nurse.
You may notice that I also:
- have a change in appetite. I may not eat as much as I used to because I am not growing as fast.
- may put all my energy into learning to walk. Because I am learning to walk, I might be slow to learn some other things.
If child care is in my future and you need help in finding a good child care facility, call 1-800-367-2229 or your local Smart Start partnership.