One Year Visit

Family Support

• Do not punish your child by shouting, spanking, or giving long explanations.  For discipline, consider a brief time out.  Put the child in a play pen or crib for 1-2 minutes only.  Use NO for situations where the child could be hurt.  Distract the child to a new task.

• Remember to reward good behaviors and accomplishments.

• Children love to be with their parents.  Read to your child every day.  

• Discuss any questions you have with your pediatrician. This is time of rapid change and development.  Parents at this stage often have questions about food, oral health, and discipline.

• If your child does not go to daycare, consider participating in parent-toddler groups so you and your child can make new friends.

• Children at this age are too young for TV.  Instead play games, read, tell stories, listen to music and exercise with your child.

• Children often need time to warm up to people they don’t often see.  Let your child take the lead.  

• Toddlers need at least one nap during the day.  It is not unusual for a child this age to nap in the morning and afternoon. Naptime routines should be as consistent as possible.

• Bedtime routines should begin with quiet times. Reading and singing or playing soft music can be soothing. A nighttime toy and night light are often helpful.  Schedule naps so your child is tired at bedtime.

Nutrition

• Meal times should be scheduled as much as possible. 

• As children learn to eat, food will end up on the floor! Don’t worry about messes.  Children learn from experimenting.  If you are worried about your floors, use a table cloth to cover them.

• Avoid giving your child foods which frequently cause choking such as nuts, or popcorn.  Cut any firm round food such as grapes, carrots and hot dogs into thin slices.

• Include your toddler at the table at mealtimes by providing a high chair or booster seat.  Make meal times pleasant and encourage conversation.

• Give your toddler a spoon for eating and cup for drinking.  These should be small enough for his hands to hold.

• A toddler’s rate of weight gain will begin to slow.  Her appetite will vary and sometimes she will eat a lot and sometimes not much.  Let your toddler determine how much she wants to eat.

• Introduce healthy snacks such as fresh fruit cut into small pieces, applesauce, cheese, or small pieces of whole grain bread or crackers.

Safety

• Remember climbing toddlers can reach. Keep all medications cleaning, automotive, laundry and lawn products locked and out of reach.

• Do a hazard check in your house for things that are hot, things that are sharp, things that could be swallowed, dangling cords or heavy things that could be pulled over.  Get on the ground at the toddlers level to survey your rooms.

• Never leave young siblings in charge of their baby brother or sister.  Allow them to help with adult supervision.

• Some toddlers this age can climb out of the crib. Keep the crib side up and the mattress in the lowest position. Use gates and window guards.

• Continue to follow weight and height guidelines for car seats.  Do not switch to a forward facing car seat until those are met.  Even then, your children should be in the back seat.  Make sure you install seats according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• Never smoke around your baby, in the house or in the car.  Babies should not be exposed to second hand smoke.  If you smoke, please ask your physician for resources to help you quit.

• Always supervise children around water.  Be sure that swimming pools in your community have a fence with a gate that closes.

• Children should always wear Coast Guard approved life jackets when in boats or other watercraft.

• If you have guns in the home, keep them unloaded and locked with the ammunition locked separately.

Oral Health

• It is time to make your first appointment with a pediatric or general dentist who sees children.

• Establish regular times, such as after breakfast and before bed, for teeth brushing.  Use a small soft brush or cloth with water.

• Tell your dentist or pediatrician if your home water supply is not fluoridated.

• If your child still uses a bottle, offer only water in the bottle.