Today's visit was a chance to check in on your child's growth, development, and overall health. Here's some information to help you care for your child in the months ahead.
Offer three meals and 2–3 healthy snacks a day.
Encourage your child to drink from a cup instead of a bottle. They no longer need a lid on their cup. If you do use a lid, avoid valved, no-spill cups — they work like a bottle and don't teach kids how to drink from a cup.
As long as your child does not have a food allergy, they can eat most soft foods. Encourage self-feeding and offer a variety of foods, such as:
Iron-rich foods: iron-fortified infant cereal; pureed, ground, or soft-cooked meats; low-mercury fish (without bones), such as salmon, canned light tuna, and cod; and shrimp, eggs, mashed beans, and lentils.
Bite-size pieces of vegetables and fruits cooked until soft, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, apples, and pears, and bite-size pieces of soft fruits like bananas, melon, strawberries, and avocado.
Soft bread, crackers that dissolve easily, pasta, and infant cereal.
Peanut butter or other nut butters thinned with water or milk spread thinly on toast or crackers.
Whole cow's milk (about 16 ounces, or 480 ml a day) and other calcium-rich foods, such as small pieces of cheese and whole-milk yogurt (without added sugar). If your child can't drink cow's milk, talk to your healthcare provider about which milk substitute is right for your child.
To help prevent choking:
Make sure your child is sitting while eating.
Don't give your child hot dogs, whole grapes, raisins, nuts, popcorn, hard candy, gum, peanut or nut butter that hasn't been thinned, raw or hard fruits and vegetables, chunks of meat, or hard cheese.
Cut all foods into small pieces (no bigger than ½ inch).
Kids don't need juice. It can lead to tooth decay and weight gain. If you serve juice, give 100% fruit juice in a cup with a meal and don't give more than 4 ounces (120 ml) a day.
Mealtime Tips
Eat together as a family. Toddlers learn by watching others eat and are more likely to try foods they see you eating.
It's normal for kids this age to eat a lot at some meals and less at others. Offer healthy food choices and let your child decide how much to eat.
You can offer a spoon for eating, but your child will probably prefer to use their fingers to eat. Self-feeding is messy, but it helps your child learn important skills.
Keep portions small. You can always offer more if your child is still hungry.
Help your child get about 11–14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, including naps.
Have a calm bedtime routine that includes a favorite toy, reading, and quiet singing.
If your child is climbing out of the crib, talk to your healthcare provider about moving your child to a toddler bed or a bed with safety rails. Do not let your child sleep in bed with you or anyone else.
Children this age learn best by talking and playing with others and touching things in their world. Video chatting (such as FaceTime or Zoom) is OK. If you allow other screen time, choose educational programming and apps, and view them together.
Talk to and read with your child often. Help them use words to name objects, talk about pictures in books, and describe feelings.
Help your child learn what you want them to do:
Give short and simple directions and explanations. Tell your child what to do rather than what not to do. For example, say, “Use a quiet voice” instead of “Stop yelling.”
Keep things that you don't want your child to touch out of reach.
When unwanted behaviors happen, be ready to help your child move on to a different activity.
Make your home and yard safe so you don't have to say “No” often.
Never spank, hit, or shake your child. If you feel that you might hurt your child, put them in their crib and call your healthcare provider right away. Help is available to support you and your child.
If you and your healthcare provider decide your child is ready to start toilet training:
Read books together about using the toilet.
Set up a potty chair so your child can get used to and sit on it, even with their clothes on at first.
Build potty sits into your routine — before and after sleeping, after meals, and before leaving the house.
Keep toilet training relaxed and expect accidents. It usually takes about six months for a child to be toilet trained.
Get all immunizations (vaccines) and tests that your child's healthcare provider recommends.
Take care of your child's teeth and gums:
If recommended, give your child fluoride drops.
Brush your child's teeth twice a day using a soft toothbrush with a smear of fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice).
If your child is thirsty between meals, offer a bottle or cup filled with water only. Do not give your child a cup or bottle in the crib.
Follow up with the dentist as recommended.
Protect your child from the sun by keeping them in the shade and dressing them in a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses when outside. If needed, you can use a water-resistant, mineral-based sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30 that protects skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
Put your child in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on installing and using the car seat or go to a child safety seat check (cert.safekids.org/get-car-seat-checked).
Make your home safe:
Put gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
Put window guards on windows above the first floor.
Store medicines, cleaning solutions, and poisons high out of reach in a locked cabinet. Get help online at poison.org or call 800-222-1222 if you are worried about a possible poisoning.
To prevent burns, set your water heater lower than 120°F (48°C) and don't drink hot liquids while holding your child.
Put smoke and carbon monoxide alarms near all sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
To prevent choking, keep balloons and small objects, such as coins, button batteries, and toys, away from your child.
To prevent suffocation, keep plastic bags and drapery/blind cords away from your child.
Be sure you know what to do if your child is choking. If you haven't taken a child first aid/CPR class, sign up for an online or in-person class at redcross.org.
Keep your child within reach if there is water nearby, including tubs, toilets, buckets, and pools. Empty the water from tubs, buckets, and child pools when you're finished using them.
Make your home and car smoke- and vapor-free. For help quitting, call 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) or visit smokefree.gov.
A gun in the home increases the risk of accidents and injuries. If you have a gun, keep it unloaded and locked up. Lock bullets separately from the gun.
Only leave your child with responsible caregivers and be sure to review safety information with them.
If you need help getting enough food, paying for housing or healthcare, or you or someone at home is struggling with substance use or mental health issues (like anxiety or depression), talk to your healthcare provider about resources that are available. You can also text HOME to 741741 (National Crisis Text Line), if needed.
