How much has your baby grown this month?
Of Course, every baby has its own rate of growth and will weigh accordingly. But in general, the average weight for children this age is between 9 and 9.5 kilograms.
In the second year, babies don’t really add a lot of weight. The physical growth might be a little lower in pace as compared to the previous year. They will only add around 2 to 3 kilograms in total this year.
Your baby’s gross motor skills
The major development in the second year of a child is being able to start walking. This starts around the age of month 13 when they start to push themselves to stand and sometimes even walk a few steps by holding on to the wall or furniture.
Their legs and muscle movements are developing coordination. Don’t worry if you don’t see your toddler trying to walk just yet, every child takes their own time learning things.
How will your baby communicate?
At 13 months old, you shouldn’t be expecting your baby to start speaking to you. Most babies this age only say one or two words that they understand the meanings of. They do blabber random words but most of the time, they might not know what they are saying and they just like the sound of it.
Most of the words that they blabber will be a mimicry of the sounds that they will hear from you or from around their environment. They will be very fond of saying “NO!”
You might be able to give your toddler simple instructions such as ‘sit down’ or ‘come here’. Make sure to also use hand movements to make it easier for them to understand these words.
What is your baby eating?
Maybe your baby has already started to wean. If not you can start to slowly substitute breastmilk for solids by this age. Understand that your choice to feed breastmilk is a decision between you and your child. Stop only when you feel comfortable with it.
Along with the milk, your baby should also be enjoying various kinds of solid food such as boiled vegetables, and cut up, and smashed fruits. Try to include healthy food items in their diet.
Social and emotional skills at this age?
Your wobbly little toddler is moving around the house on their own by now and will be fine with other people around in the house. If you leave them in a room with other children of the same age, they might even play alongside the other child. However, don’t expect your child to go beyond parallel play at this age.
Best activities and toys for this age?
- Toddlers love to play Peek-a-boo
- Coloring books and colorful books
- Soft toys
- Puzzles
- Colorful balls
- Chores
How much will your baby sleep?
It is very normal for babies this age to be very excited and not want to go to bed on time but as parents, it is your responsibility to remind them of their schedule. You can set a definite routine that will make them go to bed on time.
Try to have a calming bedtime routine and make sure that there are fewer distractions for the baby. At 13 months of age, your toddler should get about 14 hours of sleep in total. They might take about two naps a day as well.
