The 16th month
If your child can already walk, you will probably have noticed that they prefer running to walking. And thus bring even more vigour into an already often turbulent life!
The 16th month in brief
- Your child is becoming more and more independent – take advantage of this and give them time to practise things at their own pace.
- They can now also occupy themselves on its own from time to time if they have the space and time to do so.
- Boredom is natural and is even conducive to creativity.
- Some children are little gourmets and eat everything with passion, while others are very picky. It is important to keep things light-hearted at the dining table.
- Hidden object books are extremely popular with many children of this age and can be leafed through endlessly.
Enduring boredom
Your child will become more and more independent and may be able to put on simple items of clothing all by themselves. And they can now also immerse themselves in a game on their own. Of course, they won’t do it for hours on end, but it’s important that your child has the opportunity to do something for themselves undisturbed from time to time. Some children find it easy, while others need a little more support. You can start together – for example, filling dried beans into different containers – and you can slowly withdraw from the game while your child continues to play. It also makes sense not to constantly entertain the child with new ideas and stimuli. Boredom, after all, is important: too much stimulation can inhibit the creativity of the little ones.
Try, try, try
Your child is probably already eating at the table. Here again: not all children are equally open to unfamiliar foods. There are children who like to try out almost everything and others who always want the same dish. It is important that your child has a balanced selection and is always encouraged to try new things. Eating, like many other things, is something that children have to learn. They may have to try certain dishes ten to fifteen times before they like them. However, coercion is not conducive to achieving the desired result, but only leads to a tense atmosphere at the dining table. A compromise can be to try at least a bit and take a bite of it – and if it doesn’t taste good, spit it out again. Sometimes it can also help to put a funny face on the plate. Learning to eat is a process and sometimes requires a lot of patience.
Discovery moment of the month: “hidden object books”
Many children love looking at books and it can also be a nice evening ritual before going to sleep. And that’s where the hidden object books come in: they are available on a wide variety of themes and with more or less complex drawings. Your child will be delighted to keep discovering new things and it’s quite possible that they will often tap questioningly on things they don’t know yet. They become a little detective and learn lots of new words along the way. Libraries often have a good selection and with a continuous flow of new books, boredom is never an issue.
