12 month baby’s growth and development 

At 12 months, a baby’s growth and development increase a lot. The baby learns to walk, utter their first word, understand others’ emotions, respond to commands, and explore the environment. Your little one is becoming more expressive and more curious about their surroundings. They not only grow physically but also improve socially, emotionally, and cognitively. So let’s learn about a 12-month-old baby’s growth and development.

On this page, you will get the following:

• Physical development
• Emotional development
• Language development
• Cognitive development
• Social development
• Developing sleep patterns
• Developing eating habits

Physical development

Standing

At this stage (12 months), your baby learns to stand without any support. He/she can easily pick something up and stand again without support.

Walking

At 12 months, your baby may take their first step or walk independently. Many babies walk independently at this stage, while others take their first step independently. Every child is different, so you should not compare them with others.

Crawling

Now your baby can crawl easily. Some babies prefer crawling to walking. It’s an important skill for your baby as crawling makes the baby’s muscles stronger.

Climbing

You may notice your baby learning how to climb stairs or furniture. They enjoy it very much, but keep an eye on them when they try to climb.

Self-eating

At this stage, your baby can eat by themselves. Babies try to hold food and bring it to their mouth. They can also hold a cup or glass to drink. They still can’t eat independently, but they are trying hard to do so. It is a significant developmental milestone.

Baby’s growth

At 12 months, your baby will gain weight and become longer. The baby’s growth develops properly, and you will notice the development. The baby gains tripled weight at this stage, but the development will slow down compared to the first few months.

Manipulating objects

Now, the baby enjoys manipulating objects. They like to make objects different types according to their wishes, such as buttons on toys, turning pages of books, rolling a ball, stacking blocks, placing objects in containers, banging objects together, etc. These activities help them develop hand-eye coordination.

Teething

At this stage, your baby may have several teeth in the upper and lower gums.

Vision

In this stage, your baby’s vision is nearly as sharp as an adult’s. They can see objects from a distance, and their eyes can track moving objects. Babies develop their vision by recognizing faces and objects from a distance. This is a significant milestone.

Emotional and social development

Attachment

At this stage, your baby develops a strong attachment to you and their primary caregiver. The baby feels secure, safe, and comfortable when with you and primary caregivers (parents or family members who spend a lot of time with them). You will notice their attachment when they are tired, exhausted, or in an unfamiliar situation.

Responding to other emotions

Your baby is now learning how to respond to other people’s emotions. When you speak to your baby in a soft tone and with a happy mood, they often respond with happiness as well. However, if you speak in a negative tone or a bad mood, your baby can sense it and may become anxious or stressed.

Developing independence

Your baby may start to try self-feeding, choosing toys to play with, and exploring the environment on their own. They enjoy this independence and thrive without obstacles. This independence is crucial for emotional growth. However, sometimes your baby may become frustrated if they can’t accomplish something on their own. Despite this frustration, this development is beneficial as it allows them to begin forming their own preferences and opinions.

Recognizing

At 12 months, a baby’s ability to recognize familiar faces is fully developed. They can easily recognize you and other familiar people who spend time with them and care for them. They will often approach these individuals without hesitation, feeling comfortable and calm in their presence.

Non-verbal communication

Your baby still can’t communicate with you through words, but they communicate through facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. Babies develop these skills to communicate with you non-verbally.

Tantrums and frustration

At 12 months, a baby may start to throw tantrums when they don’t get what they want. You might notice your baby reacting negatively if they are unable to have something they desire. As your baby explores their growing independence, they may experience frustration. While it can be challenging to manage your baby’s tantrums, it’s a normal part of emotional development as they learn how to cope with their feelings.

Verbal expressions

At 12 months, your baby can utter some words such as “mama,” “dada,” “no,” and “yes.” The baby starts verbal development through these words. Through these verbal expressions, you can gauge the baby’s mood—whether they are happy, sad, or angry.

Social interaction

At this stage, the baby develops their social interaction skills. They start to engage in social games like peekaboo, singing and dancing, sharing toys, rolling a ball back and forth, and imitation games.

Separation anxiety

Babies often feel anxious and sad when their parents or caregivers are out of sight. They struggle to tolerate this separation, leading to feelings of anxiety and distress. This separation anxiety is actually a sign of healthy development. You may notice this behavior in your baby as they develop these emotional responses.

Imitation

At 12 months, the baby learns to imitate actions adults do, like clapping, waving, or winking. They enjoy these imitations very much and always follow their adults. This is also a developmental milestone.

Language development

First word

Now the baby utters some words such as “mama,” “dada,” “no,” “bye-bye,” and “yeah.” These words are close to the people who care for the baby and spend much time with them.

Imitation of sounds

The baby learns to imitate sounds they hear from adults. They can’t imitate exact words or sentences, but they try to do so. This is an important step for your baby in learning language.

Interested in books and stories

At this stage, the baby shows interest in books and stories. When you read a story, they listen silently. Even when you show them pictures, you can ask, “Where is the bird?” and they will point towards the bird. It’s an important step in learning language.

Tone

The baby experiments with tone and intonation. This helps them learn about emotions and social connections. They grow their language through these experiments, which you can observe in your baby.

Response

The baby learns to respond to adults when you ask them a question. They answer by nodding their head, shaking their head, or sometimes by their gestures.

Babbling

At 12 months, the baby’s babbling increases and may be hard to understand. They mimic the tone of speech, which is also a step toward learning language.

Understanding simple instructions

The baby now understands simple instructions. If you ask them to come to you, they come. If you tell them to give you a toy or accessory, they give it to you. This is a significant milestone.

Gestures

The baby shows gestures when they desire something. They nod their head or shake their head to express their needs. This is also a good developmental milestone.

Cognitive development

Problem-solving skills

At this stage, the baby can solve simple problems. They develop this skill, such as making a sound by shaking a toy or object.

Exploration

The baby learns how to explore new things around them. They pull drawers, push buttons, or test objects to see what happens.

Understanding commands

At 12 months, the baby understands your commands. If you say, “Come here, baby,” they come. If you say, “Give me the toy,” they give it to you. This is a significant milestone.

Observation

At 12 months, the baby observes what you do and tries to imitate it. Their observation skills develop by following adults and other children.

Memory development

At 12 months, your baby’s memory improves significantly. They can now recognize you and family members and can find their toys where they were kept. Memory improvement is a significant milestone for babies.

Developing sleep patterns

At 12 months, your baby develops a regular sleep pattern. Now the baby sleeps at night for 10 to 12 hours at a stretch and takes two naps during the day. This sleeping habit is crucial for the baby’s growth and development.

Developing eating habits

At this age, your baby’s eating habits improve a lot. The baby can eat a variety of solid foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, meat, etc., and tries self-feeding like sipping from a cup and holding a glass to drink. Although they are not fully independent in eating, as parents or caregivers, you are now more relaxed about the baby’s food.

At this stage, a baby’s growth and development improve significantly. They can explore the world, become independent, their sense of curiosity increases, and they develop new skills. Never pressure your baby; let them explore independently. It is really important for their developmental milestones.