Imitation is the best form of flattery at this
age! One of the key ways your toddler learns now is by copying you.
Household objects and everyday routines fascinate him. He likes to
imitate simple activities, such as feeding his teddy, sweeping the
floor, wiping down the table. This is the very beginning of role
play.
Walk on by
Your baby has become a toddler! Here are some of the amazing things
he can do by 18 months:
- Walk well with feet only slightly apart, start and stop safely.
He no longer needs to hold out his arms to balance
- Run carefully - although he finds it hard to negotiate
obstacles so watch him carefully
- Walk upstairs with your helping hand, and sometimes downstairs.
He may prefer to creep backwards or bottom shuffle when he's coming
down
- Carry a large teddy bear when he's walking
- Climb into an adult's chair then turn round and sit.
Play with a purpose
His new skills come in handy for play. He can build towers of two
or three cubes if you help him and show him how. He likes simple
picture books and may point to familiar objects he sees and turn
the pages, several at a time. He may even make his first attempts
at drawing. He holds a pencil in his whole hand, both hands, or
very clumsily between his thumb and finger and produces to and fro
scribbles and dots.
Questions and Answers
Q: My little boy is absolutely obsessed by an old blanket he had
when he was about nine months old. He insists on taking it
everywhere and it's getting very threadbare! Should I worry about
this?
A: Many toddlers find the world a rather scary challenge and
develop fads as a way of creating something that never changes and
a place where nothing unexpected ever happens to them. There's no
need to worry about these obsessions. Making a big fuss probably
makes the situation worse and in most cases the child simply grows
out of needing them.
Q: My son seems to understand a surprising amount of what I say to
him, but he doesn't say many words himself. What should I expect at
this stage?
A: At 18 months, you can expect your child to be saying between six
and 20 recognisable words, but he understands many more. Talk to
him on a one-to-one basis and you'll find he listens and responds.
He'll hand you a toy if you ask him to, and can obey simple
instructions such as 'get your shoes'.
Did you know?
For every word your toddler uses, he understands five more?
Children always understand more words than they use right up until
they are adults.