Is not that crazy? The other day there was a mini-baby in your arms that needed your attention around the clock. And suddenly it starts building towers and crawling around making the world unsafe. No question about it: the baby is becoming more and more of an infant to a toddler. But when exactly do we actually speak of a toddler?
When is a baby toddler? The official definition of the age limit
According to the Federal Ordinance on Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, there is an official designation for each age stage of a child
Transition from baby to toddler: Please don’t put any pressure on yourself!
Of course, this does not mean that a child has to be able to walk or speak fluently by reaching this age. Every baby and child develops completely individually within a certain framework. Don’t put any pressure on yourself or your child if they don’t develop in the same way as others in the playgroup. You don’t have to promote it excessively, either. Your little one will master the major milestones in their development – and that includes the transition from baby to toddler with everything that goes with it – all by itself.
When is your baby no longer a baby? 5 unmistakable signs
Beyond the official definition of when a child is a toddler, these five developments , among others, point to the transition from baby to toddler:
1. Pull up, start running, fall down
Around their first birthday, babies begin to say goodbye to crawling more and more. They want to pull themselves up everywhere, they practice the stance so diligently. And many a child already takes the first steps by the hand of their parents or even on their own. The goal of all these efforts: The little treasure is slowly becoming more and more independent and wants to discover the world in his own way. Support him with praise and lots of love, so small setbacks and all the new impressions can be processed much better!
2. Be fed? I do not want to!
Gone are the days when babies would smile happily when mum or dad fed them spoon after spoon of porridge. Recently the motto has been: Have! Namely the spoon! If your sweetheart slowly outgrows the baby age, he will try to become more and more independent when it comes to eating. Make sure you allow this development and give the children the children’s cutlery in their hands. There is nothing better for developing motor skills and self-confidence. Yes, the chair, table and floor may well look like a battlefield afterwards. But hey, that’s how we all started. And in the end, wiping it away is faster than you think.
3. From now on no more extra sausages!
From the beginning of the second year of life, children can and should take part in family meals. The little ones soon made it clear that they wanted to do this by showing great interest in what mum and dad like to eat and like to try. So just prepare a small plate for your darling with nibbles of what you are eating. The composition of the meals shouldn’t change much: the main meal still consists of a side dish with meat or fish and vegetables and the other meals only change from pureed to firm. In the morning and in the evening, you and the child can, for example, make bread with cream cheese and a piece of fruit or, of course, muesli, if possible with no added sugar.
4. Small impostors
You can also see from the change in play behavior that your baby is becoming more and more of a toddler. Rattles and hand rings have long been orphaned in the corner. But now it’s high season for building blocks and stacking cups!
5. Mom! Father!
No mother or father will forget the moment when their little baby suddenly says mom or dad. What a great feeling! And it actually just keeps getting better. Around their first birthday, many children can already speak a few words with the jump from baby to toddler. But don’t worry if it’s not there yet: language development is very individual. If something is wrong, the doctor will talk to you about it. Until then you don’t have to worry!
