14-Month-Old Child

Your toddler is no longer a baby — so why is she still putting everything into her mouth? Truth is, the mouthing habit can linger long after a child’s first birthday. 

You can expect this urge to fade by age 3, but in the meantime, you’ll need to make sure that whatever your toddler sticks into her mouth is safe.

Most objects around the house — even dust bunnies and old Cheerios — are usually okay, but you’ll want to lock away any toxic substances like cleaning supplies and put a toddler-proof lid on the garbage can.

When you catch your child mouthing something she shouldn’t, firmly tell her to spit it out. If she doesn’t listen to you, remove it from her mouth yourself.

In a perfect world, babies would willingly give up their bottle at 12 months and go straight to a sippy cup (or even better, an open cup). 

In the real world, however, that doesn’t always happen — which is one reason why so many children continue to drink from a bottle past the recommended 12 months of age.

Most toddlers prefer to wean from the bottle gradually, so your best bet may be to phase out one feeding session at a time, starting with the morning or midday bottles. 

Try putting less breast milk or cow’s milk (toddlers over the age of 1 no longer should drink formula) in each bottle, and then top off each feeding with a sippy or open training cup, offering plenty of praise for your tot’s efforts. Then wait a few days or a week to drop the next bottle.

In the meantime, try to be patient — bottle weaning can take weeks or even months, so hang in there!

To a toddler, slides and swings may look more looming than appealing. She’s not entirely wrong, either — plenty of injuries happen on the playground. Plus, some tots are simply more cautious than others (which means less stress for you).

If you want to encourage your little one to be a little more daring, try asking her if she wants to use the equipment with you — by sitting on your lap as you sit on the swing, for example, or letting her explore underneath the slide. 

Try not to push or hover, though. Even the most risk-averse toddlers will conquer their fears — in their own time, that is. For now, enjoy it while it lasts.

Nothing ruins bathtime for a toddler quite like getting a surprise shampoo. To minimize the sudsing struggles, use a one-step conditioning shampoo instead of two separate products, and opt for a foaming shampoo with fun appeal.

Using a handheld spray nozzle can help control the rinse, since it minimizes the odds of getting water in your little one’s eyes. If you don’t have one, you can use your child’s toy watering can or another cup — just keep a spare one nearby in case she decides she wants to play with it.

If your toddler is still resisting a hair-rinsing, position a child-friendly mirror in the bathtub so she can watch you make a “suds sculpture” on her hair.

Does it seem like your child is more interested in throwing food than eating it? At this age, it’s hard for toddlers to control their impulse to experiment with what’s in front of them. (“Does the spaghetti stick to the wall or bounce off it?”) 

In fact, it isn’t until toddlers are about 18 to 24 months old that they start complying with the rules — and even then, only selectively so.

You can make it harder for your child to toss her bowl on the floor by using one that has a suction cup on the bottom. At mealtimes, only serve a few bites’ worth of food at a time. The less food there is on the plate, the less tempting it may be to play with.

Your toddler has better things to do than lie still for a diaper change — and you have better things to do than wrestle a squirming child onto the changing table every few hours.

To head off the diaper revolt, stash everything you need — wipes, diapers, lotion — where you can easily reach it. The quicker you can be, the less time you’ll give your tot to rebel. You can also distract her with a few special toys that you only pull out for diaper changes.

If your child is already walking, she may be loath to lie on her back. If that’s the case, try changing her diaper while she’s standing on the floor — just put a towel or other washable surface, like a travel changing mat, beneath her.

If nothing seems to be working, you may have to recruit an ally, who can help restrain the kicking and squirming while you calmly make the change. Yelling or threatening will just prolong the battle.

Almond milk is a popular alternative milk for adults, but it’s not the best choice for children. The reason: Compared to dairy milk, almond milk — which, like its name suggests, is made from almonds — doesn’t contain as many important nutrients for toddlers. 

One cup of whole cow’s milk, for example, contains about 146 calories and 8 grams of protein, whereas almond milk contains only 37 calories and about 1  gram of protein. Whole cow’s milk also is packed with 300 milligrams of calcium and 366 milligrams of potassium compared to almond milk’s 449 milligrams and 163 milligrams, respectively.

If your toddler is allergic to milk or is lactose intolerant, or if your family doesn’t consume animal products, she can drink fortified, unsweetened soy milk (the only type of plant milk that’s recognized as a nutritionally adequate substitute) instead, if your pediatrician gives you the thumbs-up.