Baby’s 17th Month – A Guide To Development And Milestones

For the past few months your baby has struggled to walk. Now is the time when she will begin trying to achieve another big hurdle, namely, trying to talk.

Here is a post about the development and milestone achievements of a 17 month old baby. Have a look.

17 Month Old Developmental Milestones:

Following are some of the things that your baby is capable of at this stage. Take a look:

• Drink from a cup
• Use a word or two
• Walk up and down the stairs
• Feed her doll
• Remove some particles from her clothes
• Build 4 blocks of tower
• Understand your commands
• Throw balls overhead
• Point at pictures

[ Read : Ways To Handle A Toddler At Home ]

17 Month Old Baby Development:

Here is the list of development changes you must watch in your darling at this age.

1. Talking:

Certain babies may have already started talking. If your baby too is doing the same, maybe you are not able to understand her.

• You need to notice if she is saying the same words for the same thing and if it is at all making any sense.
• In the coming few months she will be able to say around 6 to 20 recognizable words.
• You can begin by helping her name some body parts.
• Though you may simply find her gabbling, it will improve with time.

2. Teach Her Manners:

This is a good time to teach your baby about manners. Have a look at how you can inculcate basic mannerism in your baby:

• You can demonstrate to her the kind of conduct you expect from her.
• You can say please if you want her to do something and make sure to thank her after it.
• You can convey to her the basic need to show respect. The words “thank you” and “please” should be used meaningfully to indicate involvement and concern.

[ Read : Bedtime Stories For Toddlers ]

3. Reduced Sleep Patterns:

By the time your baby is 17 months old, she will prefer sleeping once in a day.

• You may have to muddle through till she falls asleep.
• Cuddling up with her will make her feel extra cozy and she will fall asleep fast.

How To Handle A Fussy Eater?

Your baby may turn choosy about her food. So the best thing you can do is do not spend much time cooking complicated dishes. Your focus rather should be to bring nutritious food in variations.

• You can make the meals bite sized to help her enjoy them.
• Rather than focusing on what she had on a day, concentrate on her diet all through the week.
• Variety of healthy options can help her grow interested in eating and she will also get all the nutrients she needs.

[ Read : 16 Month Baby Development ]

Safety Concerns At This Age:

She is now far independent than before and busy exploring the world around her. You need to childproof your home in the best possible way to avoid unwanted consequences. Take a look at what else you need to be careful of:

• As she grows, you need to consider the car seat belt seriously for her while travelling.
• Your baby may be keen on toys and may ride on them. You need to adopt all safety measures and set basic limits, so that she understands what should be avoided.
• Dry patches, blisters and bumps are common at this age. Make sure you have the right ointments and gels ready in your cupboard.
• Medication mistakes are common. Make sure to clarify all your doubts with your doctor to eliminate such errors. You must be aware of the safety guidelines.
• Allergies and colds are very common in this age. You should be able to differentiate between the two.

[ Read : 18 Months Baby Development ]

Remember your baby is impulsive and unable to think ahead the way you can. This makes some situations very frustrating. However; you need to remember that this is a developmental phase of your baby and she will soon outgrow such behaviors.

Moms tell us about your 17 month old baby developmental milestones in the comment section below.

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