This is how your child develops in the 16th to 18th month

Walking and motor skills: Safer movements

Your child plays passionately with everything muddy like sand, earth or even food – and often gets on your last nerve. But activities that enable your child to train their motor skills are very beneficial for their development. Of course, he should not be given too much free space at the dining table for these exercises. Your inquisitive sweetheart also likes to clear out the closet or drawers and turn the world around properly upside down. He becomes more and more accurate and precise in his movements. Nevertheless, a healthy degree of caution is required: With increasing mobility, it becomes particularly important to ensure that there are no unnecessary sources of danger on your child’s tour of discovery through the house and apartment. Of course you won’t be able to prevent occasionally hitting its head or tripping over the edge of the carpet. But you should make sure that your child does not have the opportunity to burn themselves on the hot stove or play with sharp objects. Because a curious and active child will inevitably find themselves in tricky situations of this kind if you don’t stop them.

Speaking and understanding: New words are added

Maybe your little one is already babbling happily at this point, or maybe he’s not yet able to articulate more than a few words clearly. This is certainly not a cause for concern, since language
development in children is very different. Statistically speaking, however, most children of this age can speak between three and six words. Also, they already recognize their own name.

Mental Skills and Play: Learning by imitation

More and more often you will be able to observe your child at this age watching you very closely in your everyday activities and trying to imitate your actions. This learning by imitation is very important for your child. It watches you and your family vacuuming, combing hair and sharpening crayons and learns a lot from it. Your child now picks up the comb or pen and begins to scribble something on paper or to “comb” their hair – uncoordinated, of course. Many children also love to watch the adults clapping or waving and enthusiastically try to imitate these movements. Most children of this age can now, for example, build a small tower out of two building blocks while playing.