Parenting: 13 Months
An advertisement for your position as parent would include a long description of your duties. It might begin something like this, Wanted: one tireless, endlessly kind, and patient teacher. After all, much of what you do is teach your child all day. You are teaching her how to behave, how to talk, and how to interact with others.
As you go through the day, look for opportunities to help your child learn. Take her for a walk and talk about what you see: “Look at the pretty flowers. The flowers are yellow. The flowers smell pretty!” This has been called "teaching through sports-casting." You don’t need to ask your child to repeat words and names but, you can model the words repeatedly and enthusiastically. She will soak them up, especially if you combine the sports-casting with touching and smelling.
Some people wonder if they can spoil their children. Loving a child cannot spoil her. Children thrive when loved everyday. They do best when hugged and snuggled. It is good for them to hear many more positive than negative things about themselves. Treating your child with warmth teaches her self-esteem and prepares her to go forward in life and treat others well also.
Your support also gives her the strength to start exploring the world on her own. At 13 months, children start to learn more about the world around them, and begin to develop some new skills (like walking) that give them some independence from you. This becomes a crucial time for you to give your child lots of support and love. That way, she feels secure and is able to take those first steps away from you, while knowing that you are nearby and ready to catch her if need be.
However, along with this love you need to clearly let her know her limits and your expectations. You can’t love your child too much but you can hurt her by not disciplining her well. To learn more, check out this article about appropriate discipline by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Continue to Weaning your child
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