Well, you are now into the second year of your little one’s life, starting with the thirteen-month-old developmental milestones. If you think the first year is exciting, this year is going to be full of more fascinating growth and developments coming in.
By now, your little one is good at crawling and cruising. So, he might start to take any first thrilling steps at anytime. While it’s might be challenging at times to keep him entertain, you can first learn more about his developmental milestones, sleep and food preference to ease your journey.
Thirteen-Month-Old Developmental Milestones
13-Month-Old Sleep
Most 13-month-old toddlers have about 14 hours of sleep a day. Your little one is going to have 11 to 12 hours of sleep during the nighttime and one or two short naps during the daytime.
13-Month-Old Feeding
As his growth starts to slow down, you might notice that he seems to be less hungry than before. Generally, a 13-month-old toddler needs around 1000 calories per day through three small meals and two snacks.
Nonetheless, don’t forget to continue feeding him with whole milk, too. Around 16 to 24 ounces of whole milk can contribute 300 to 450 calories for your toddler’s daily activity.
Here are daily menu samples that you may refer to when feeding your little one:
Mind that your toddler might have less portions of food from one day to another. And do not get annoyed when he suddenly rejects food which he devoured for the past few days. Simply go with the flow and offer a variety of nutritious and healthy options for each meal.
Key Milestones In Growth
As compared to the rapid growth in the first 12 months, you will realise that your little one’s growth starts to slow down. Around the thirteenth month, your baby is still growing about half an inch and gaining around 1.5 kg to 2.3 kg. Here’s the average weight and height that you can expect from your thirteen-month-old toddler.
- Weight: Around 9.16 kg for a 13-month-old baby girl and 9.89 kg for a 13-month-old baby boy
- Height: Around 75.18 cm for a 13-month-old baby girl and 76.96 cm for a 13-month-old baby boy
Similarly to his babyhood, the figures only serve as a reference and every child grows at the different rate. It’s more important to notice your child is growing at a health rate that will be reflected in a positive curve on his growth chart.
Related: Check out how your newborn baby is growing from his first month until the twelfth month here.
Key Milestones in Skill Development and Senses
Key Milestones in Movement
- may walk forward or sideway a little while holding your hands
- can bend over and pick up objects
- can stand alone for a few seconds and sit independently
- can hold smaller objects such as crayons, pencils and coins with his fingertips
- can clap and wave goodbye
As your 13-month-old has developed a better grasp, you might need to face some BIG messes during his meal time. As your little one is still very curious, he is now exploring the fun of picking food from the plate and dropping it on floor. He might even squeeze and smear the food all over the table to learn more about food.
Instead of getting angry (although it’s really hard not to get upset), take this as a process of your little one learning about cause and effect. On top of this, you can follow these tips to make your little one’s meal time easier and better:
Key Milestones in Five Senses
- can recognise familiar songs and tries to join in the singing and simple actions
- can use two words skillfully
- can say one to two words
- can understand and respond to verbal commands and the word ‘no’
- likes to gaze at his own reflection
- can laugh and giggle at amusing things
- may throw tantrums when he feels stressed and frustrated
As your 13-month-old toddler is getting better at communicating his needs and emotions, you might notice that he is starting to throw tantrums. This is especially evident when he is frustrated over his inability to tell you what he wants or feels.
Whether your little one is throwing tantrums at home or even in the public, here’s what you can do to deal with and to prevent toddler tantrums:
Activities For A 13-Month-Old Toddler
By now, your 13-month-old toddler is gaining more interest in playing games and scribbling. Thus, it is a good time for you to play Peek-a-boo and exciting games with a ball with him. You can even give him a picture colouring book and pencils to try on.
Speaking of language development, you should try to talk as much as you can with your little one. Whether it’s during the diaper change, bath time, strolls and even drives, you can share with him about what you are doing and what’s happening.
On top of this, you should spend a few minutes reading to him, too. Here are some activities that you can incorporate to make reading more joyful:
Additionally, you should also encourage your toddler to try out these activities to develop his hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills:
Be A Vigilant Parent While Checking Milestones
As our 13-month-old is increasingly independent and curious about the world, it is very important for us as parents to be more vigilant and watchful. Always remind yourself to ensure his safety while enjoy watching him learning, growing and exploring.
On top of this, do not force your toddler to eat when he is full or not hungry and always feed him with healthy food and snacks.
It’s undeniably tiring throughout the process, but it’s equally rewarding as well.
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